Higher assessments by the Securities Investor Protection Corp. are shocking some brokerage firms.
Foothill Securities Inc. an employee-owned broker-dealer based in Mountain View, California, is merging with Cue Financial Group Inc., a smaller independent firm based in Phoenix.
With major equity indexes soaring past their high-water mark for 2009, advisers now seem to agree that the markets have hit their bottom. How long they will continue in positive territory, however, is up for speculation.
MetLife Inc. ended the second quarter in the red, reporting a net loss of $1.4 billion, or $1.74 per share.
Annuities will continue to take a back seat to other insurance and wealth management products at Genworth Financial, according to the insurer's finance chief.
The U.S. economy sank at a pace of just 1 percent in the second quarter of the year, a new government report shows. It was a better-than-expected showing that provided the strongest signal yet that the longest recession since World War II is finally winding down.
An Ohio man has sued life settlements and insurance guru Barry Kaye's firm, alleging that the firm encouraged him to buy a $5 million life policy and left him hanging when it couldn't find a buyer on the secondary market.
Wirehouses lost approximately $1.5 trillion worth of market share last year, according to a report from Cerulli Associates Inc. of Boston.
Independent advisers are mulling a switch to monthly electronic statements in order to cut costs.
Consumers who track their finances online increased their household spending by an average of $400 during the second quarter, compared with the previous quarter, reversing an 18-month trend, according to data released today by <a href=http://www.Mint.com>Mint.com</a>.
The Hartford (Conn.) Financial Services Group Inc. booked a $15 million loss, or 6 cents per share, for the second quarter.
Commercial and personal property insurer Travelers Cos. said today that lower investment income and underwriting profit drove its second-quarter earnings down 21 percent.
Health insurer Cigna Corp. said today its second-quarter profit jumped 60 percent on a more favorable interest rate and other items, but enrollment fell 7 percent.
The number of newly laid-off Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits rose last week, the government said, though the increase was mostly due to seasonal distortions.
Highlights from the Federal Reserve's survey of economic conditions nationwide. The survey, released Wednesday and known as the Beige Book, is based on information collected from the Fed's 12 regional bank districts.
Commonwealth Financial Network of Waltham, Mass., picked up three large offices of reps and advisers who manage $1.25 billion in July, and the advisers are coming from two broker-dealer networks that are being shopped by the insurance companies that own them.
Moody's Corp., owner of Moody's Investor Service, said Wednesday that second-quarter profit fell 19 percent as the credit markets continued to languish. But it beat Wall Street estimates and raised its 2009 profit forecast.
Craig Raymond has joined John Hancock Financial Services Inc. as its new chief risk officer and chief actuary, effective immediately.
Insurer Conseco said expects to post a profit in the second quarter because of a much smaller investment loss.
Deutsche Bank AG has reported a 67 percent rise in second-quarter net profit due to stronger corporate and investment banking and one-time charges that lowered the year-ago results. Shares slumped, however, due to write-downs and a cautious outlook.
