Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney nor Bank of America ended 2009 with a bang in the earnings department. But their wealth management units were pockets of strength. Read more . . .

It’s no secret that RIAs are looking to hire successful wirehouse reps. Here’s how to evaluate your options. Read more . . .

Plenty has changed at wirehouses recently -- except for the rich recruiting deals. Read more . . .

For big producers, the Wirehouse channel is home. Read more . . .

Financial advisors’ wallets have been ravaged by the current market and economy. Some of them are taking desperate measures. But most will survive and come out stronger. Read more . . .

This week, Stifel Nicolaus announced it was buying 55 UBS wealth management branches spread across 24 states, which include $15 billion in assets under management, 320 reps and over $100 million in revenue. The St. Louis regional b/d will make an upfront cash payment of $27 million for the branches, which are said to consist of mostly lower level producers. UBS says the deal allows it to divest itself of producers who donÂ’t fit into its high-net-worth strategy, and sell them to a firm thatÂ’s willing to take them on. Read more . . .

With veteran Bob McCannÂ’s departure, some Merrill rank and file are concerned Bank of America may undermine MerrillÂ’s culture. Read more . . .

Q&A with industry recruiters. Read more . . .

Here’s a possible new twist in the changing financial services landscape: A report in the New York Post raises the possibility of a “joint venture” between the wealth management divisions of Wachovia Securities and UBS. A lot of questions need answering before this one pans out. Read more . . .

Merrill Lynch executives Dan Sontag, head of Americas Wealth Management, and John Hogarty, COO, released the 2009 Financial Advisor Comp Plan yesterday afternoon. Read more . . .

Just a few months ago, working for Merrill Lynch was the pinnacle of achievement for many in the Merrill herd: Eighty percent of Broker Report Card respondents from Merrill said their firm was the best in the business. Only Edward Jones, where advisors are so fiercely loyal that it has become the butt of industry jokes, scored higher on this scale (94 percent). Even now after a near-death experience. Read more . . .

Radio interview with Danny Sarch on recruiting trends. Read more . . .

Keeping your book of clients intact when switching firms has never been a cakewalk, but it sure isnÂ’t getting any easier. Read more . . .

Competition for recruits is so hot these days that nearly half of the financial advisors from the wirehouse and regional firms have been offered checks to switch firms, according to a new survey from Fidelity Investments and National Financial. Read more . . .

If you are an advisor at Merrill Lynch or Wachovia, youÂ’re wondering what your retention bonus is going to be. Read more . . .

So why did John Thain do it? Well, he didnÂ’t have much of a choice. Read more . . .

Bear Stearns reached a deal Sunday to sell itself to J.P. Morgan—at a fire-sale price. J.P. Morgan will pay $2 a share for the teetering bank, less than one-tenth of the price that its shares were trading for on Friday. That day, Bear’s stock plunged 47 percent to close at $30. Just a year ago, Bear shares were trading at $170. Recruiters say Bear advisors are very determined to leave, but the deal at least buys them some time to look for a new home. Read more . . .

When Smith Barney and Legg Mason announced a deal to swap the wirehouse's asset-management business for Legg's brokerage unit, a lot of Legg reps saw an ugly storm brewing. Some made calls to recruiters and began to prepare for a move they wish they didn't have to make. But as the details of the combined entity begin to emerge, the devil is sending out the right vibes, and a lot of reps have stopped. Read more. . .

John Mack is moving quickly to get Morgan Stanley’s ailing retail brokerage in shape. Read more. . .

When Morgan Stanley announced late last week that John Schaefer, the head of MorganÂ’s struggling retail brokerage unit and an ally of former CEO Phil Purcell, was stepping down, Wall Street immediately began speculating about who will be chosen as his successor. And what that successor might augur for the retail brokerage. Read more . . .

Recruiting competition between the top brokerage firms is fiercer than ever, and Morgan Stanley is currently wielding one of the most powerful deals on Wall Street. Known as the Rising Star program, it offers young, successful brokers 100 percent cash upfront, plus generous production-based payout increases at 14, 24, 30 and 60 months. For those of you counting at home, those numbers add up to a payout. Read more . . .

Joel Marks is in a race to get big before he gets crushed. Marks, vice chairman and COO of independent broker/dealer Advanced Equities in Atlanta, more than tripled the size of his independent advisor force with two acquisitions in the past year. That brings him to 600 reps and assets of $14 billion. In the coming year, he expects to nab another two or three b/ds, and by 2007 he hopes to double revenue. Read more . . .