Articles published 3/2022
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Reed Colley exits beta swinging with a $20-million raise and $20 billion of client AUA based on a plan to give RIAs their own operating systems
March 30, 2022 at 4:09 PMThe Black Diamond founder is using non-commingled data as a foundation for radically improved security, a self-contained universe of applications and third-party CRM
Robinhood shares spike 25% after CEO Vlad Tenev finally goes back on the attack against Acorns, Fidelity, and Schwabitrade by adding their tricks and features to its quiver
March 29, 2022 at 7:19 PMSemi-commoditized by giants and upstarts alike, the Menlo Park, Calif. firm is extending trading hours and doing its own Acorns-style round-up debit card to show it's in the fight.
Wealthbox raises $31 million after finding its groove converting Salesforce and Redtail CRM users and leaping up the marketshare ranks
March 28, 2022 at 11:14 PMThe Providence, R.I., party-crasher has romped on the lower end by being simple, intuitive and cheap, but sees upmarket beckoning; capital will fund a hiring and spending spree to capitalize on software shift to planning that puts CRM back at the center
Ned Johnson, who built Fidelity Investments into a family financial services empire and inspired countless others in the industry with his energy and integrity, has died at 91
March 26, 2022 at 2:05 AMEdward 'Ned' Johnson III put aside his Brahmin pedigree in favor of a low-key, personable style but he also had a keen 'contrarian' instinct to step up aggression in downturns, which helps explain Fidelity's recent dazzling hiring spree
Pontera attracts yet another $45-million VC round for its 'held-away' 401(k) order management system and snags SageView, a $175-billion RIA, as a customer
March 24, 2022 at 11:19 PMThe 10-year-old New York City firm nixed its FeeX brand and its old business model after RIAs said they wanted 'action' more than information.
Walt Bettinger finally arrives in Omaha, Neb., to meet-and-greet ex-TDA staff and the local press, offering a good story to tell and liberalized post-Covid work policies
March 23, 2022 at 2:24 AMThe Charles Schwab Corp. CEO traveled to TD Ameritrade's former headquarters with senior TDA staff, buoyed by the happy news that headcount jumped by 300.
Riskalyze co-founder and CTO steps down; Aaron Klein hires a headhunter to replace him and nab a CMO, too
March 22, 2022 at 1:12 AMRight out of Berkeley, Matt Pistone was serious engineering talent with little experience. The new person needs to bring a track record.
The amazing -- though unsurprising to recruiters -- resurrection of 'smoothie' broker James Iannazzo, who lands at a brokerage 52 days after Merrill Lynch sacked him for his outburst
March 19, 2022 at 2:36 AMIannazzo's name showed up as registered broker with Ageis Capital, suggesting clients tend to forgive or are oblivious in these circumstances, recruiter says.
Michael Kitces' debate with two top RIA custodians may have vaporized--causing him to pivot to a 'discussion'--but he still made his point--more transparency, now!
March 18, 2022 at 2:00 AMThe serial 'Nerd's Eye' RIA entrepreneur didn't give an inch against LPL RIA chief, Marc Cohen, who insisted custody is about value, not fees.
Goldman Sachs RIA custodian delayed indefinitely, as 'technical details' bedevil launch date
March 16, 2022 at 2:47 AMThe clock is ticking on the New York City investment bank's strategic imperative to strike while TD Ameritrade and Schwab merge, but Goldman may be facing similar obstacles combining with Folio Institutional.
The 'Great Debate'--pitting Bernie Clark and David Canter against Michael Kitces--collapses after the Schwab and Fidelity custody chiefs have second thoughts
March 14, 2022 at 2:57 AMIn October, Canter laid down the challenge, Clark sided with him and the Nerd's Eye View publisher and RIA advocate called their bluff.
Cash-flow negative Acorns raises $300 million in bridge capital after failed IPO bid, which allows 'anchor investor' BlackRock to increase its stake at a reduced valuation
March 10, 2022 at 11:06 PMThe Newport Beach, Calif.-based robo-advisor finds profits and AUM elusive but has what BlackRock wants -- wide wealth management distribution of ETFs to young investors too cool for traditional advisors
Ed O'Brien recalled to Fidelity's mothership, bestowing him with power perhaps second only to 'Abby,' a key observer says, though at a huge cost--the sudden decapitation of eMoney
March 10, 2022 at 2:27 AMThe suddenness of the move caught O'Brien off-guard, but Mike Durbin has consistently said his goal is to infuse investment management with wealth management and eMoney, which O'Brien calls home, sits at that intersection.
Amit Dogra is ready to put a shine on an $8B 'Dynasty-like' RIA service platform that's tired of keeping a low profile in cloudy Portland, Ore.
March 9, 2022 at 2:37 AMThe Philly exec is now president of tru Independence after stints at SEI, Brinker, Hightower, BNY Mellon and, most recently, Sanctuary.
Iconiq Capital is now an $89-billion RIA as it evolves from wealth management to KKR mode -- not without Henry Kravis and 'glaring conflicts'
March 8, 2022 at 2:39 AMThe San Francisco firm nearly quadrupled in size since June 2020 sources and buys pre-IPO shares, is determined to be a wealth manager to the super-wealthy and compete for A-list PE deals with Blackstone and the like.
Chronic fee chopper Vanguard Group raises prices on nine funds, showing 'ownership' cuts both ways, cutting fat is getting harder and Vanguard pricing is both art and algorithm
March 5, 2022 at 1:19 AMThe $8.1 trillion in managed assets giant also cut fees on 32 funds, and kept fees at 109 funds unchanged, according to fiscal end-of-year reports, Sept. through Dec. 2021.
Tyrone Ross is on a plane to see Omaha after shocking decamp from Onramp Invest CEO spot, setting off an executive exodus
March 3, 2022 at 5:12 AMTorie Happe and Dani Fava also quickly cut ties to the RIA-serving crypto company and the popular crypto exec is also getting love from Omaha.
Charles Schwab Corp. files to launch 'crypto' index ETF and 'jumps the track' of its product development guardrails, while Vanguard and others will likely heed the locomotive roaring into the market
March 3, 2022 at 12:07 AMThe Westlake, Texas broker-dealer and custodian of $8 trillion of AUA promises an in-house 'crypto-tangential' index that is all but certain to disrupt pricing and send alarms to other holdouts.
Toronto-Dominion Bank's bid to reestablish the TD brand for U.S. wealth management takes a $13-billion step forward
March 1, 2022 at 4:05 AMThe Toronto owner of Cherry Hill, N.J.-based TD Bank is adding First Horizon and its 412 branches to its growing U.S. footprint -- sweeping East to West
