Investors aren't the only ones watching Charles Schwab's acquisition of TD Ameritrade. Registered investment advisors also want to know what this smaller field of custodians means for their firms and the clients they serve.

Turning 65 is a big milestone in retirement due to Medicare eligibility. But if clients don't get their enrollment decision right, they could face costly penalties or higher medical expenses. Here's what advisors need to keep in mind — and what they need to think about if they want to loop in third-party expertise.

Just because you're approaching retirement doesn't mean you have to shy away from stocks. Financial advisors discuss why it may make sense for investors to step up their equity allocation — particularly if they can count on pension income.

With the average couple shelling out an estimated $285,000 for medical expenses after age 65, some advisors are looking closely at how their clients should best spend their health-care dollars.

As 40% of advisors plan to retire within the next 10 years, young financial advisors can help fill the gap. Here's how established advisory practices are integrating younger generations into their teams.

Financial advisors who made CNBC's FA 100 list of leading firms for 2019 share what their outlook is on factors influencing markets and investors in the new year, from domestic politics to global trade and corporate earnings.

While certain investors might share some commonalities, they also bring a variety of circumstances and financial individuality to the table that some advisors sort through before handing over investment advice.

Cryptocurrency isn't a fad. That's according to experts at the TD Ameritrade LINC conference in Orlando, Florida. If investors want to dip a toe into bitcoin, they should aim for this allocation. They should just make sure they know the risks first.

Developing a niche, like working with millennial clients or widows, will become more imperative if financial advisors are to compete successfully.

The CFP Board, which oversees standards for 86,000 certified financial planners in the U.S., removed the ability for consumers to search for an advisor based on how they're paid.

The best financial advisors will choose to stay connected with their clients throughout the coronavirus crisis and be creative in evolving their services on a human level. Keep adding to your market volatility playbook — this isn't the first time we've encountered turbulence in the markets, and it won't be the last.

While some of the underlying thinking behind the so-called 4% rule was prudent, it was hatched in an era in which interest rates were much higher, capital markets less volatile and, most important, Americans had shorter lifespans. Given today's market volatility and changed retirement landscape, it's safe to assume that the 4% rule may be obsolete.

Eighty-one percent of financial advisors say markets haven't hit bottom yet amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by Ned Davis Research. Two members of CNBC's Financial Advisor Council say whatever the future holds, they're telling clients to stay the course.

There are some key things that retirement savers should steer clear of doing with their 401(k), despite uncertainty over exactly when the stock market will recoup its losses and head higher.

As markets careeen amid coronavirus-fueled economic volatility, financial advisors are at the eye of the storm. We asked five members of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council what they're telling clients, whether they're helping them reallocate and how the downturn is impacting their own fortunes.

The barrage of bad economic news surrounding the coronavirus pandemic can trigger an emotional response, or "amygdala hijack," in investors' brains that can cloud judgment. Here's how to combat the panic and ensure sound financial decision-making.

While financial advisors must continue being proactive in helping clients maintain financial well-being during the coronavirus pandemic and downturn, the most effective advisors are managing their clients' emotional well-being, as well.

Three financial advisors share how they have helped clients apply for emergency funding through the Paycheck Protection Program, and sought aid for their practices.

As Congress considers ideas in the coming weeks seeking to help America recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Insured Retirement Institute has proposed a five-point plan to help American retirement savers enhance their ability to save for retirement today and ways to strengthen their financial security for tomorrow.

Proactive planning can aid you in achieving short- and long-term financial needs and goals, especially in times of hardship like the current coronavirus pandemic.

Everbridge CEO David Meredith discussed business systems to help combat the spread of coronavirus in the workplace.

Kroger chairman and CEO Rodney McCullen joins "Squawk on the Street" to discuss reopening the economy, keeping store shelves stocked and more.

Dhivya Suryadevara, General Motors CFO, joins "Squawk Box" to discuss the company's first-quarter earnings results, closing of the North American plants, auto demand, the path forward and more.

Mark Bristow, CEO of Barrick Gold, joins "Squawk Box" to discuss reopening the U.S. economy, demand for gold during the coronavirus pandemic and what the "new normal" may look like after the crisis ends.

George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, joins "Squawk Alley" to discuss the company's earnings and outlook for the business.

Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown said the meat industry is "reaching a tipping point" and the plant-based meat producer sees a chance to win over new consumers.

CVS Health CEO Larry Merlo said the health retailer received validation that its strategy to make health care local is working.

Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer he expects a "good holiday season" if the retail environement returns to normal.

Waste Management CEO Jim Fish made an appearance on CNBC's "Mad Money" to discuss the trash collector company's three-month performance and what's ahead.

Chris Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, joins "Squawk Box" to discuss company earnings, navigating the coronavirus crisis and more.

Jim Cannon, CEO of FLIR Systems, joins "Squawk Alley" to discuss demand for its thermal camera technology to scan for potential coronavirus infections in workers.

PayPal reported a record amount of new active accounts added to its platform in April, but it saw a drop in quarterly profit as the Covid-19 pandemic weighs on consumer spending. PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman, joins "Squawk Box" to discuss.

Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio said the troubled company has raised enough liquidity to get through potential 18 months of zero revenues.

Moderna CEO Stephan Bancel tells "Squawk Box" that he anticipates the supply of Covid-19 vaccines will be 'constrained' at first and that the company will work closely with the U.S. government to distribute the first batches of the vaccine to areas that have the most need.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tells "Squawk Box" that the company is a proponent of a model in which drivers and couriers have minimum earning and health care protections based on the hours worked.

One of southern Africa’s biggest tourist attractions has seen an unprecedented decline this dry season, fuelling climate change fears

For decades Victoria Falls, where southern Africa’s Zambezi river cascades down 100 metres into a gash in the earth, have drawn millions of holidaymakers to Zimbabwe and Zambia for their stunning views.

But the worst drought in a century has slowed the waterfalls to a trickle, fuelling fears that climate change could kill one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions.

Related: Zimbabwe on verge of 'manmade starvation', warns UN envoy

Victoria Falls, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, has slowed down to a trickle after an unprecedented decline in water levels, officials have said. Data from the Zambezi River authority showed water flow at its lowest since 1995, and well under the long-term average. 

The Zambian president, Edgar Lungu, said it was a stark reminder of what climate change is doing to the environment, yet some scientists are cautious about categorically blaming the climate crisis. Harald Kling, a hydrologist at engineering firm Pöyry and a Zambezi River expert, said climate science dealt in decades, not particular years, 'so it’s sometimes difficult to say: this is because of climate change because droughts have always occurred'

• Victoria Falls dries to a trickle after worst drought in a century

As a doctors’ and nurses’ strike paralyses Zimbabwe’s health system, one woman has delivered 100 babies in her flat

•Photographs by Cynthia R Matonhodze

Six expectant mothers groan through their labour pains in the lounge of a tiny two-roomed apartment in Mbare, Zimbabwe’s oldest township.

Sweating and visibly in pain, a heavily pregnant woman peeps through the window to catch a breath while others lie on the floor.

After years in exile, my hopes for a joyous family reunion were dashed by the country’s miserable economic situation

My brothers and I leapt out of bed at the first glimmer of dawn on Christmas morning – and there they were. Every Christmas of my childhood that I can remember, the shiny black school shoes were neatly lined up by the door. A new pair for all of us. Then came the new clothes proudly presented by my parents – the fruit of long hours of labour. And then, in our new finery, off we went to church. The long sunny hours of Christmas Day, usually with a brief but refreshing afternoon thunderstorm, were spent at huge family gatherings, feasting on chicken and rice, washed down with an array of brightly-coloured soft drinks – cherry plum, cream soda and Fanta orange.

As the years went by and independence came to Zimbabwe, many things changed. But Christmas traditions remained much the same, with big gatherings to which people travelled many miles, new clothes, lots to eat and drink.

When I arrived in mid-December, the tales of hardship were heart-breaking. There’d be no gifts for children this year.

Researchers sound the alarm after statistics reveal almost half of impoverished children in rural areas do not have enough to eat

Poverty has reached unprecedented levels in Zimbabwe, with more than 70% of Zimbabwean children in rural areas living in poverty, a UN study has found.

The report, compiled by Unicef and the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, shows high levels of privation in rural areas, where 76.3% of children live in abject poverty. Statistics seen by the Guardian suggest that almost half of these children do not have enough of the right food to eat.

Related: Zimbabwe on verge of 'manmade starvation', warns UN envoy

Widespread corruption and deteriorating economy have contributed to rise in sexual bribery, say researchers

Zimbabwe has recorded an unprecedented number of women reporting being forced to exchange sex for employment or business favours.

More than 57% of women surveyed by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) said they had been forced to offer sexual favours in exchange for jobs, medical care and even when seeking placements at schools for their children.

Related: We were promised change – but corruption and brutality still rule in Zimbabwe | Fadzayi Mahere

Emmerson Mnangagwa makes passionate plea for support as he targets upper middle-income status by 2030

The president of Zimbabwe has appealed for help in pulling his debt-ridden country out of “financial isolation”.

Emmerson Mnangagwa made his passionate call for international funding after he failed to secure new loans from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, African Development Bank and the Paris Club due to outstanding foreign debts of $8bn (£6.2bn).

Related: Zimbabwe urged to prioritise children as record poverty causes food shortages

A year after eastern Zimbabwe was devastated by one of the worst storms on record, many people remain amid the wreckage living in makeshift shelters

The sound of the rising wind and the heavy rain trigger fear at Garikai camp in Ngangu, Chimanimani, eastern Zimbabwe.

Villagers here are haunted by traumatic memories of the aftermath of the cyclone that swept over this region last March, when they were forced to bury the dead in makeshift coffins. Some people have never found their loved ones.

Related: Why were the people worst affected by Cyclone Idai so badly prepared? | Antonio Matimbe

Unable to access state benefits, food and even running water as the country shuts up shop, people in Harare fear the worst

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Nelson Mahunde, 70, trudges along the deserted streets of Harare’s central business district to collect his monthly pension.

In one hand, he clutches a pension letter; with the other, he hold on firmly to his walking stick.

How can we wash our hands regularly when there is no running water?

Related: Zimbabwe's president appeals for help to end country's 'financial isolation'

Court application warns ‘many lives will be lost’ without urgent action to provide face masks

The Zimbabwean government has been taken to court over its failure to provide doctors working on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic with masks.

The Zimbabwe Association for Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) is seeking to compel the authorities urgently to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical practitioners, warning that medics in the country’s troubled health sector will otherwise die.

Related: 'We will starve': Zimbabwe's poor full of misgiving over Covid-19 lockdown

A rise in cases of the mosquito-borne disease poses another layer of threat in a country where the health system is already struggling

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At least 131 people have died from malaria in Zimbabwe in a new outbreak, adding pressure to a country already struggling to deal with Covid-19.

The fatalities occurred in 201 outbreaks recorded across the country, according to the Ministry of Health. Meanwhile Zimbabwe’s lockdown has been extended by two weeks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Related: 'We will starve': Zimbabwe's poor full of misgiving over Covid-19 lockdown

Migrants trapped in dangerous conditions at frontiers, ports and transit camps

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Tens of thousands of migrants are trapped in dangerous conditions at frontiers, mines, ports and in transit camps across Africa after states shut their borders in an attempt to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Some have been abandoned by smugglers unable to take them further on their journeys to Europe or elsewhere. Others were returning home or moving across the continent in search of work when frontiers were closed in March.

Companies that were able to make the cut and qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program have another fight on the horizon: having their loan forgiven. Here's why it's so hard to figure that out.

Time is running out if you're receiving SSI or VA benefits and want to make sure your children under 17 are included in your stimulus payments. You have just until tomorrow to report your information to the IRS. But beware: Some people have already complained that their checks fall short.

Health savings accounts, or HSAs, will cover Covid-19-related testing and treatment, among other things.