How advisors rated their firms
Advisors are seeing their books of business and pay climb back up - although not yet to pre-recessionary highs. However, the ratings they bestowed upon their firms are a mixed bag
Books of business and pay levels are up, and it appears to be the top-producing advisors who are driving the industry's growth this year. Those are encouraging signs at a time when the economy and stock markets are still in flux
Advisors surveyed this year say branch managers can be "good," "bad" or "ugly"
Although many survey respondents are not ready to retire, they know it is a reality they must face
Following the release of IIROC's final guidelines on the use of social media late last year, firms of all stripes are in various stages of exploring how social media can be harnessed as a communication tool between advisors and their clients
Nine of the 11 firms that provide support for mobile technology saw their ratings fall this year, while the remaining two brokerages saw their ratings climb due to solid support for remote access to advisors' desktops
When it comes to the ever-important areas related to wealth-management support services, advisors say the help of experienced and knowledgeable staff is very much needed when dealing with clients approaching retirement
The good news: Advisors earned more this past year. The bad news: They are shouldering ever-increasing operational costs while reward and bonus targets are set too high to be achievable
Advisors expect commitment from their firms in maintaining a level of two-way communication