TD AMERITRADE reports the current situation on the market

TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation, providing a dynamic balance of investment products and services that make it the investment firm of choice for millions of retail investors and independent registered investment advisor clients, on Thursday presented a survey showed that 60 percent of inquired actually reported an increase in total number of clients over the last six months during a challenging economic environment. Though during the last six months, 90 percent of questioned independent RIAs (registered investment advisors) said they have seen increased growth or no change in the number of new clients, indicating consumers continue to trust and increasingly turn to RIAs in a difficult market. Of the respondents who reported growth in client numbers in the past six months, two-thirds have seen growth rates up to 10 percent and another third reported growth rates exceeding 10 percent. 

As inquiry shows, one-half of new assets at RIAs are coming from wirehouses and broker-dealers. On the question about the assets leaving their firm, nearly half of RIAs reported losing assets to known sources 20 percent including other RIAs and 15 percent banks. Few respondents reported losing assets to either 8 percent broker-dealers or 3 percent wirehouses 

RIAs also reported the top five concerns for their practice over the next twelve months concerning the current economic climate: 26 percent is business growth, 24 percent - the macro-economic environment, 18 percent - managing risk, 9 percent - regulatory changes and 6 percent -operational efficiency.

According to the inquire, one in ten firms is looking to reduce expenses in the next 12 months: 42 percent - reducing the owner compensation and 22 percent outsourcing back office activities. Besides 43 percent respondents say they are maintaining their current business strategy, 42 percent are looking to increase incomes. 46 percent also say to increase income they will increase their marketing efforts and 32 percent expand into new markets.