A retiree in New York could pay off her debts in one lump sum. But is that the smartest move?

The Atlanta-based independent broker-dealer thinks some advisors will always feel ill at ease at big firms that keep getting bigger. That's where it sees its opportunity.

The founder of the private-equity backed RIA says he's interested in further acquisitions but doesn't want to be "growing for growth's sake."

The deal values closely held Fisher Investments at $12.75 billion and is part of the founder's estate planning, according to the firm.

Yext's CEO said his firm could have tried building its own in-house compliance software. Instead, it found exactly what it needed at Hearsay Systems.

The deal comes as a Raymond James executive questions if advisors who choose to go with private owners won't regret their decisions in three to five years.

The partners at Pilot Financial have been through only one acquisition in their firm's history — the recent sale of Lincoln Financial's wealth groups to Osaic — and they're not eager to repeat the experience.

Despite the apparent decline, the independent broker-dealer giant remains one of the leaders in advisor recruiting and merger and acquisition deals.

More than a third of financial advisors will retire in the next decade in a profession in which nearly 3 out of 4 rookies fail to make the grade, creating a headcount problem for the industry.

Combining the two partner firms will create an RIA with more than $50B under management.