by
Dorothy Hinchcliff
Morningstar now is providing credit ratings for real estate investment trusts (REITs).
Bill Gross's Pimco
Total Return Fund, the world's largest mutual fund, is expanding its
policy to allow investments in equity-linked securities for the first
time since 2003.
by
Dorothy Hinchcliff
Morningstar this week announced five bond fund manager nominees for its fixed-income manager of the year award. Domestic-stock and international fund nominees were announced earlier.
by Larry Stein
Clients are looking at their savings and interest rates and thinking their golden years will be more like rusty tin...
by Alan Lavine
The plunge in municipal bond prices is
making these financial planners more selective in where they put their retiree
clients' money.
Bill Gross of Pacific Investment Management Co. spent
$4.4 million of his own money to purchase shares of five
municipal-bond funds run by his firm after tax-exempt debt tumbled.
When it comes to bond ETFs, investors think they've got lemons. The ETF industry has been working hard to convince them
it's really lemonade.
Wealthy U.S. investors may be able to buy municipal bonds at some of
the highest yields in seven months as issuers rush to borrow before
year end.
BofA's agreement to pay $137 million in restitution for taking part in a bid-rigging conspiracy for municipal-investment contracts may
soon be followed by more settlements to repay victims.
by
Jeff Schlegel
Folks with a net worth between $100,000 to $1 million say cash is their
investment option of choice during the next 12 months, according to a
new report.
A former JPMorgan Chase & Co. banker pleaded guilty to rigging bids for municipal-bond investment contracts in the biggest-ever conspiracy in the $2.8 trillion market's history.
AIG sold $2 billion of bonds in its first offering since the
bailout in 2008.
by Eric Uhlfelder
Investors have entered some less explored foreign corners of the debt market in their search for yield. So far, it has been paying off, but
caution is needed.
by
Karen DeMasters
The SEC has revoked the registration of a
Florida RIA that it says used a Ponzi scheme
to defraud federal and state government workers of at least $34
million.
Private placements are being sold to investors even though they
may not understand the risks. A FINRA task force is investigating broker-dealers over "problematic" deals.
Muni-bond issuers may face
more failures in 2011 as federal economic-stimulus aid declines and
budget pressures jeopardize debt payments, says a distressed debt newsletter publisher.
by
Dorothy Hinchcliff
Companies with environmental problems pay a premium to finance debt and
their bonds are assigned lower credit ratings, says a prize-winning study.
Tax-exempt bonds are yielding more than Treasuries for the first time
since the financial crisis, a relationship that history shows doesn't
last.
by
Karen DeMasters
Bank of America has seen a big jump in Roth conversions this year, and an expert there talks about what to consider in determining whether your clients should convert.
Pimco's Bill Gross, who runs the world's biggest bond fund, reduced holdings of government-related debt to the
lowest level since July 2009 and added mortgage-related assets in
October.
