The debt crisis in Europe has highlighted one often-overlooked aspect
of bond indexes: The more debt a company or a country issues, the
bigger the role it typically plays in the benchmark.
by
Jeff Schlegel
Segmenting clients enables advisors to increase the efficiency and profitability of their practice.
A group of influential tax lawyers is fighting with the government over a
report they fear may be used to raise taxes on the many small U.S.
businesses set up as S corporations.
Insurance organization's bid to sink the fiduciary standard misquotes, irks SEC commissioner.
Evercore Wealth Management has embarked on a selective acquisition campaign
to attract like-minded wealth managers.
Exchange-traded funds don't appear to have been the cause of Thursday's
flash crash, but the day could stand as a blemish on
the products' reputation for reliability as trading vehicles.
Janney Montgomery Scott's quest for quality over quantity gives it a focus to hire new advisors who are outperforming its existing broker base.
by
Ray Fazzi
A proposed fiduciary standard for all financial advisors is back in
play as the U.S. Senate debates financial services reform-and backers
of the measure may have Goldman Sachs to thank.
Fidelity Investments is once again shuffling its top management and
perhaps bringing more clarity to the mutual-fund and brokerage company's
succession plan.
Two financial advisors and their firm must pay nearly $1.9 million after being accused by the advisors' former employer of allegedly breaching their contract and stealing trade secrets.
Few things get people madder at their estate planners than fights over
who must pay taxes when someone dies. A big source of trouble: the
patchwork of state rules that apply.
by Joel Bruckenstein
Charles Schwab Advisor Services today announced Project C, a broad
initiative designed to help advisors increase the scale and efficiency
of their practices.
Morningstar Inc., the immensely powerful arbiter of the mutual
fund industry, is turning its attention to a corner of the business it
has long ignored: closed-end funds.
A deep recession and market meltdown didn't stop independent registered
investment advisors from experiencing growth since 2007-in terms of assets, market share and net-money flows.
Early signs suggest ETFs played a big role in Thursday's turmoil. It's
too early to tell if they were victims or somehow contributors to the
problem.
When financial markets swoon like they did on Thursday, it can pose a test for advisors' relationships with clients.
Some folks want 'em. Some don't. That's the upshot
of the response the U.S. Labor and Treasury departments
received about including
income annuities as a payout option for 401(k) plans.
While the oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is pounding BP PLC's stock and reputation, the long-term impact could be more choice for
individuals who want green investments.
by Joel Bruckenstein
HighTower Securities Inc. recently announced the beta launch of its HOST
(HighTower Open Source Technology) iPhone and iPad application for
advisors.
Tax lawyers want the IRS to lighten up on corporate executives when
honest mistakes are made in their deferred pay plans.
