I don’t know about you, but for me it’s that same feeling at the beginning of each New Year….you know, “Get your butt in the office, clear up your desk and get going again!”

It’s kind of a nagging thing (or an inner voice that tells me I have to get certain tasks completed before anything else can happen).

Well, last week I came across some very good advice which I am trying to practice. It was in a “Life Makeover” column by Cheryl Richardson, and I think it applies to anyone who wants to maximize production and still have the time to give themselves permission to relax and enjoy life.  Read more...

UBS’s CEO of wealth management, Robert McCann is calling it “Growth Plus”, a new retention program to reward brokers who have been with the firm for more than five years and produce at least $500,000 in annual production starting in 2010.

Forced to compete with MSSB , BofA, Merrill, and Wells Fargo, all of whom are offering significantly more in retention packages, how is this being received? Well, it’s probably too early to say, but speculation from a number of recruiters is that it will be a tough uphill battle.  Read more...

As in “fiduciary” that is.

SEC Chairman Mary Shapiro has reiterated her commitment to create a “strong fiduciary standard” for all securities professionals.

Her pronouncement to the Consumer Federation of America on Thursday, December 3, stressed the need for a uniform across the board standard with the same licensing and qualification standards for all financial services professionals.  Read more...

I agree on one thing - it was bound to happen.

Merrill Lynch’s financial advisors are being asked (pressured?) to sell Bank of America’s checking and savings account products! Advisors’ clients are even receiving mass e-mails to promote the bank’s products, although advisors do have the option of crossing off their clients from the e-mail list.

What happens to Merrill’s CMA? (Cash Management Account, which links the securities account to checking, Visa and money market accounts.) I kind of think it is all about “one stop shopping,” so it will be interesting to see which products win over the clients.  Read more...