- These States Have the Most Potential AUM per Advisor – 2025 Study
Opportunity comes in many forms. Some advisors may try their luck in the places that currently boast the highest average incomes for the profession, while others seek to unearth niches that may offer returns at scale. While consumer demand for advisors may vary from place to place, it doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story of… read more…
- 60+ Ideas for Your Financial Advisor Seminars
Making genuine connections with prospects is key when it comes to converting them into clients. Email and social media offer numerous opportunities to engage, and you can build on that foundation with an in-depth seminar. Hosting in-person or virtual events is a chance to take a deeper dive into a topic that speaks to prospective… read more…
- 5 Sales Strategies for Financial Advisors
Financial advisors who build sustainable practices understand that effective sales is less about pitching products and more about communicating trust, expertise and value. Today’s advisory sales model often blends traditional selling with consultative sales, which prioritizes discovery, active listening and long-term relationships. For fee-only and fiduciary advisors, this approach is especially relevant because client acquisition… read more…
- Can Financial Advisors Pay Fees for Referrals?
In an increasingly competitive advisory landscape, the role that word-of-mouth marketing plays in building a thriving practice can’t be overlooked. Referrals, whether they come from your existing clients or other professionals in your circle of influence, can lead to more conversions and lay the groundwork for long-lasting advisor-client relationships. Developing a referral program may open… read more…
- 5 Marketing Event Ideas for Financial Advisors
Marketing is an essential part of a business’s growth. And holding marketing events can help you build stronger connections with prospects who fit your idea of an ideal client. The question is, what kind of event is most likely to help you build real connections that eventually convert? If you’re running short on inspiration, consider… read more…
- How to Grow Your Financial Advisor Business
Building a thriving practice takes planning, dedication and, sometimes, just a little luck. When it comes to how to grow your financial advisor business, the fundamentals include actively building your brand, optimizing your marketing efforts and delivering a superior client experience. That being said, there are some strategies you can implement that can help you… read more…
- Guide to Cross-Border Investment Banking and Financing
Cross-border investment banking and financing represent one of the most complex yet potentially rewarding areas of finance. When companies seek to expand internationally, access foreign capital markets or engage in multinational mergers and acquisitions, they enter a landscape filled with unique challenges and opportunities. From understanding regulatory differences and currency exchange risks to structuring deals… read more…
- How This Financial Advisor Used SmartAsset to Build a Pipeline of Clients and Add $100M in Reported AUM
While some advisory firms may overlook clients with little to invest outside of their retirement plans, Matt Scarborough and Oak Wealth Partners see opportunity. Located 60 miles south of Washington D.C., Scarborough’s firm has found notable success serving mass affluent clients—many of whom are federal workers—whose wealth is largely concentrated in the Thrift Savings Plan,… read more…
- 20+ AI Tools Financial Advisors and Planners Could Leverage
Artificial intelligence (AI) is making its mark on the financial services industry, and adoption rates are steadily rising. Nearly a quarter (24%) of retail advisors use AI daily, while just 22% avoid AI completely, according to a 2026 Horsemouth analysis of industry surveys.1 Financial advisors can choose from a variety of AI tools designed to… read more…
- 5 Ways to Ask and Pay for Referrals as a Financial Advisor
Referrals make getting on a prospect’s radar easier, and delivering a superior client experience can help you generate them organically. If they come to your firm in a trickle rather than a flood, however, it may be a good idea to master the art of the ask. Just under a third of advisors proactively ask… read more…
- How to Build a Strong Referral Program as a Financial Advisor
Referrals can be a key driver of growth for financial services professionals. Among top-performing firms, more than half have a documented referral plan for existing clients, while 38% have a similar plan for obtaining referrals through centers of influence, according to Schwab’s 2026 RIA Benchmarking Study. Firms with documented programs generate 1.5 times more new… read more…
- How to Find a Marketing Coach for RIAs
Marketing is an important part of business planning and development for RIAs, but getting it right can be challenging. Keeping up with evolving trends is enough to make your head spin, and what attracted clients yesterday isn’t always guaranteed to work tomorrow. Working with a coach can help you tighten up your marketing game for… read more…
- How to Streamline Client Portfolios
Managing client portfolios can take up a significant part of your day when you’re spending time researching investments, running model scenarios and scheduling trades. That may leave you fewer hours each week to meet with clients or dedicate to prospecting and marketing. Streamlining client portfolio development and management processes can help you get some of… read more…
- Smartria vs. RIA in a Box: What’s the Difference?
Compliance software can simplify the way you run your business while saving you valuable time. And Smartria and RIA in a Box are two popular compliance platforms for registered investment advisor firms of all sizes. Both offer a comprehensive suite of features and services, but there’s more to determining which one could be the right… read more…
- RIA in a Box Compliance Software Review and Pricing 2026
Managing your firm’s compliance requirements can be time-consuming, and if you’re ready to simplify, a software solution could be the answer. RIA in a Box, now COMPLY, is a popular compliance platform for busy advisors who want to free up more hours in their day to serve existing clients and attract new ones. What does… read more…
- Smartria Compliance Software Review and Pricing
Compliance is a central part of operating a successful advisory practice, but the time it requires can shift attention away from client service and growth initiatives. If you’d like to spend more of your day prospecting and serving clients, and less time worrying about compliance, software may be the answer. Smart RIA offers compliance solutions… read more…
- How to Target Specific Client Asset Amounts as a Financial Advisor
Increasing assets under management (AUM) is a common goal for growth-focused advisors. Targeting prospects in specific asset ranges could help you expand your book of business and potentially boost your firm’s AUM. Defining your ideal client, developing personalized marketing strategies and tailoring your advice may give you a competitive advantage. SmartAsset’s Advisor Marketing Platform (AMP)… read more…
- How to Grow Without a Referral Network as a Financial Advisor
A referral network, whether it features other financial services professionals or current clients, can be a powerful growth driver for advisors, but it’s not a requirement to scale. Advisors can attract new clients through a combination of SEO and AEO strategies, social media and email marketing, digital ads, as well as educational events tailored to… read more…
- Where to Find Coaching as a Financial Advisor
You want to scale your business and become the advisor prospective clients line up for, but you’re unsure how to achieve your goals. Maybe you’ve heard about coaching for financial advisors and are wondering how it may benefit you. In 2023, 46% of advisors reported working with a coach and the vast majority of them… read more…
- How to Get Estate Planning Clients as a Financial Advisor
Adding estate planning to your slate of services can be an effective way to scale your business and attract new clients. In fact, 68% of advised clients say they’d consider switching to another advisor who offers these services, according to a 2026 Trust & Will survey.1 Positioning yourself as an estate planning expert through strategic… read more…
- 12 Estate Planning Questions to Ask Your Clients
Offering estate planning services can increase the value you bring to your clients and help you scale your business more effectively. According to Trust & Will’s 2026 Financial Advisor Report, 61% of Americans say advisors should include estate planning in their services, with 37% calling it “essential” to a comprehensive financial plan. When you have… read more…
- ‘It Wasn’t Just Luck’: How This Advisor’s Firm Added $14M in Reported AUM With Consistent Approach Using SmartAsset
When Robert Tutela seeks out new clients, he doesn’t solely focus on wealthy prospects with seven figures to invest. Landing million-dollar-accounts is great, but it’s not the only path to success as a financial advisor, says Tutela, an advisor and portfolio manager at Essex, LLC in Illinois. “I’ve always been of the mindset, if you’re… read more…
- How to Conduct an Annual RIA Compliance Meeting
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) imposes rigorous compliance rules on registered investment advisors (RIAs). In addition to developing written compliance policies, you’re also expected to hold and document an annual compliance meeting. If you’re a newly established RIA, a little preparation can make the process of conducting this meeting a smooth one. SmartAsset’s Advisor… read more…
- How to Conduct a Mock Compliance Audit for Your RIA
Registered investment advisors (RIAs) are subject to examination by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and/or state regulatory agencies. These exams, which are intended to ensure that RIAs consistently meet compliance requirements, take place approximately every seven years according to internal SEC data.1 The SEC prioritizes newer firms that have never been examined in determining… read more…
- Client Service Agreement Template for Financial Planning
Taking on new clients is an exciting prospect when you’re focused on growing your financial planning business. Drafting a client agreement is an opportunity to set expectations and clarify what services you’ll provide. Developing a new document each time you onboard a client is unnecessary if you’re using a template that you can easily customize.… read more…