Terminations, retirements and those exiting the industry by choice have all taken their toll on the adviser headcount, which slipped 1.4% in the past year.
Independent broker/dealers and RIAs continued outpacing wirehouse firms in long-term mutual fund asset growth in the first quarter, according to Access Data and Strategic Insight.
A recent Deloitte survey found employee retirement readiness continues to be a top priority among more than three-quarters (78%) of 401(k) plan sponsors.