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Author: rafferty

investment advisor

10 Steps to Bulletproof Your Practice

18:49 05 December in Articles Written by Jon Henschen

December 2011
by Jonathan Henschen and featured in  Investment Advisor

If you find yourself in arbitration, following these steps can improve your chances of a decision in your favor

As a recruiting firm, we deal with compliance issues so frequently that, put in college terms, I majored in recruiting and minored in compliance. The last two years have seen regulators tightening the thumbscrews on broker-dealers and, in turn, advisors. There is little room for error in our industry today—what once might have caused a change of broker-dealer can now put you out of business. Couple this more stringent compliance environment with securities attorneys increasingly expanding their profit centers into our industry and you’re left feeling a bit paranoid.

If you ever find yourself needing to go to arbitration,

Mid-Sized IBD Shifts Into Growth Mode

18:07 05 December in In the News

December, 2011
by Diana Britton and featured in Registered Rep

Tampa, Fla.-based Calton & Associates, an independent broker/dealer with over $2 billion in assets, has recently ramped up its marketing and recruiting efforts after flying under the radar for the last 25 years. The firm plans to build itself up through mergers and acquisitions with smaller b/ds as well as by bringing on new reps and RIAs.“The regulatory requirements for a $250,000 b/d, like we are, just continue to mount,” said Dwayne Calton, president and CEO of Calton. “If you’re not growing, you’re dying; you just don’t know it yet.”

To solidify its plans, Calton recently formed a recruiting and marketing agreement with John Simmers, who co-founded IBD Financial Network Investment Corporation, which eventually became part of the ING Advisors Network,

investment advisor

The Decline of Insurance-Owned Broker-Dealers

19:59 03 November in Articles Written by Jon Henschen

November, 2011
by Jon Henschen and featured in Investment Advisor

Conflicts of interest contributed to insurers’ loosening grip

From 1990 up until a few years ago, insurance companies dominated broker-dealer acquisitions in order to gain greater control over insurance product distribution. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s been a steady flow of insurance companies getting out of the broker-dealer business and focusing on their core business: insurance products.

Broker-Dealer Insurance Company Owner Sold To Vera Vest Securities Allmerica Life Insurance LPL WS Griffith Securities Phoenix Life Ins. LPL Walnut Street Securities General American Life MetLife Waterstone Securities Pacific Life Insurance LPL Mutual Service Corp. Pacific Life Insurance LPL Associated Securities Pacific Life Insurance LPL Jefferson Pilot Securities Jefferson Pilot Life Ins. Lincoln Financial Multi-Financial ING Lightyear Capital Financial Network ING Lightyear Capital Primevest ING Lightyear Capital Great American Securities Great American Life Ins.