IBD Elite 2026 ranks 37 brokerages; clearing costs stay hidden
The annual revenue ranking gives advisors a rare public measure of brokerage scale; a companion feature explains why clearing and custody costs stay hidden.
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Record RIA deal volume meets a pickier buyer pool
Advisor-owners preparing to sell must now prove organic growth, leadership depth and clean operations before buyers will pay a premium.
A new directory catalogs nearly 50 AI agents for advisors
The directory lists individual agents, so advisors can compare the tools buried behind vendor jargon.
Bloomberg's Canoe deal puts alts document automation in the advisor spotlight
RIAs and family offices now have a stake in how accurately AI reads alts documents — and in the humans who check the output.
Most advisors never see the true cost of clearing and custody
Financial Planning's 41st annual IBD Elite study finds the price of clearing and custody buried under so many layers that few advisors ever see it.
AI note takers belong in the coaching workflow, ActiFi CEO says
Spenser Segal argues meeting-capture software should feed advisor coaching, not just compliance files, and prescribes a five-question test for real AI strategy.
AI agents pile up recommendations. Only advisors can turn them into advice.
A multi-agent advice engine pushes the industry to decide who owns the fiduciary duty.
Anthropic's auto mode previews the next test for AI governance
The approval-fatigue data behind Claude Code's auto mode show how RIAs will control automated client interactions.
Usage-based AI clauses are silently raising your next renewal
Wealthtech contracts are passing AI compute costs through to advisory firms, and the meter turns whether or not anyone uses the feature.
RMD season is the true test of an AI prompt
The latest AI Prompt Lab installment makes the case that seasonal batch emails need a fixed skeleton, per-client variables, and a compliance rail.