Bruce Kelly

InvestmentNews

Bruce Kelly

Senior Columnist

26 years experience

Bruce's specialty topics

Legal and compliance Advisor compensation Alternative investments

Bruce is Senior Columnist for InvestmentNews, a leading publication for financial advisors and the wealth management industry.

An award-winning journalist, Bruce’s career at InvestmentNews began in 2000, two years after the launch of the newspaper. He has covered the brokerage industry ever since, focusing on financial advisors’ pay, the products they sell, and the firms on and off Wall Street where they work.

His reporting in the financial crisis 2008 and thereafter shed light on the many shortcomings of the financial advice industry, from weak regulation to the collapse of many broker-dealers.

Bruce writes an award-winning column, On Advice, and his daily breaking news reports give clarity and insight into what’s happening behind closed doors at the largest brokerage firms in the country.

Before becoming a journalist, Bruce taught middle school and high school English in Manhattan and Caracas, Venezuela, for a decade. He is the co-author of a 2010 book, “Financial Serial Killers,” and has two children.

How I think about writing for this industry…

“I love covering the financial advice business. We write about financial advisors and how they care about clients' lifesavings - what is more important than that?”

Awards and recognition

  • 2 SABEW awards
  • Neal Award

Also published by

Co-author of "Financial Serial Killers"

Read the latest stories by Bruce

Bruce Kelly
Displaying 3542 results
Finra bars another wirehouse broker involved in expense report snafu
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT NOV 12, 2018
Finra bars another wirehouse broker involved in expense report snafu

The ex-Morgan Stanley broker in 2016 resigned when questioned about a $273 expense.

Step one: Withdraw from the broker protocol
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT NOV 10, 2018
Step one: Withdraw from the broker protocol

Pulling out of the protocol proved to be one part of multipronged strategies by Morgan Stanley and UBS to reduce broker attrition. So far, their plans seem to be working.

Broker-dealer CEO sees rapid escalation of brokers abandoning commissions in favor of fees
RIA NEWS NOV 09, 2018
Broker-dealer CEO sees rapid escalation of brokers abandoning commissions in favor of fees

Commonwealth Financial's Wayne Bloom says brokers are turning in their Finra licenses and going fee-only

Commonwealth advisers turning to private equity
ALTERNATIVES NOV 08, 2018
Commonwealth advisers turning to private equity

IBD's advisers have invested $70 million of client money in PE funds over the past two years.

Merrill Lynch to focus team pay on digital, online areas
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT NOV 06, 2018
Merrill Lynch to focus team pay on digital, online areas

Wirehouse is attempting to promote online engagement of clients by rewarding advisers who make it happen.

Jay Welker, Wells Fargo head of wealth management, to retire
WIREHOUSES NOV 06, 2018
Jay Welker, Wells Fargo head of wealth management, to retire

Mr. Welker and his division are reportedly being investigated for gender bias.

Finra bars ex-Merrill Lynch broker for falsifying childcare expenses
REGULATION, LEGAL & COMPLIANCE NOV 05, 2018
Finra bars ex-Merrill Lynch broker for falsifying childcare expenses

The broker, Terrance Hood, was fired by Merrill last year for falsifying receipts for childcare expenses

Former Next Financial broker settles charges he ran $3.9 million fraud
INDEPENDENT BROKER DEALERS NOV 05, 2018
Former Next Financial broker settles charges he ran $3.9 million fraud

Douglas Simanksi told clients he would invest their money in a 'tax free' fixed-rate investment, SEC charges.

SEC enforcement actions involving advisers jump in 2018
REGULATION, LEGAL & COMPLIANCE NOV 02, 2018
SEC enforcement actions involving advisers jump in 2018

Agency reports 108 stand-alone enforcement actions involving investment advisers and companies, up 31.7%.

Finra bars broker who took wife's cash to pay brother's debt
RIA NEWS NOV 01, 2018
Finra bars broker who took wife's cash to pay brother's debt

Former RBC Capital Markets broker made distributions from his spouse's IRA without her approval.