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INDUSTRY NEWS SEP 29, 2009
Finra panel rules against $900M team terminated by Merrill

In what looks like the end of a long-simmering dispute, Finra orders two members of a team terminated by Merrill Lynch to pay the brokerage $3.5 million

By Dan Jamieson
RIAS SEP 29, 2009
$900M Merrill Lynch team strikes out on its own

A prominent wirehouse rep and his Hawaii-based team &#8212; <a href= http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090929/FREE/909299980&amp;ht=choy>who rather suddenly left</a> Merrill Lynch &amp; Co. Inc. in September &#8212; have formed a new advisory firm.

By Bloomberg
RETIREMENT PLANNING SEP 29, 2009
Advisers leaving clients in the dark about Roth conversions, poll shows

The majority of investors who work with advisers are not aware that income limits associated with the conversion of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA will be lifted in January, according to a survey conducted by Fidelity Investments.

By Bloomberg
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES SEP 29, 2009
Elderly investors in Florida awarded $1.2M after being sold “inappropriate” annuities

Four senior citizens in Florida who were scammed into purchasing &#8220;inappropriate&#8221; equity indexed deferred annuities have had a combined $1.2 million returned to them by the state's chief financial officer, Alex Sink, according a statement from Florida's Department of Financial Services.

By Darla Mercado
RETIREMENT PLANNING SEP 29, 2009
Virtual adviser to the mass affluent gets a little more sophisticated

Back in May, we introduced you to <a href="//www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090501/REG/905019982&amp;ht=SimpliFi&quot;" target="&#8221;_blank&#8221;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sophie</a>, SimpliFi's free virtual financial planner. Well, Sophie's grown up since then. As of today, she's gotten a lot more sophisticated, at least for the customers of financial institutions such as credit unions and banks that provide SimpliFi LLC's Planning Service Plus to their customers.

By Davis Janowski
INDUSTRY NEWS SEP 28, 2009
Why energy is the way to play

Energy continues to be the theme for Jerry Jordan, manager of the $110 million Jordan Opportunity Fund <a href=http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?q=jordx&amp;INDA=1&amp;crit=&amp;SearchCategory=CHART%3BREG%3BFREE%3BSUB&amp;SearchProfile=1119&amp;symbol=&amp;targetURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.investmentnews.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Fsection%3Fcategory%3Dstocklookup&amp;category=ETFLOOKUP&amp;searchType=etf>(JORDX)</a>.

By Jeff Benjamin
INDUSTRY NEWS SEP 28, 2009
Ready to limbo: Markets look for direction this week

Investors are just not sure where the economy is headed. And so the stock market may be in limbo for a while.

By Associated Press
INDUSTRY NEWS SEP 28, 2009
FSI urges broker-dealers to fight Finra over 'unjustified' fee increases

Broker-dealers and registered reps should not bear the burden of increased fees from Finra after the regulator's &#8220;failure to properly prepare for the inevitable market downturn,&#8221; according to a notice sent to broker-dealers last week from the Financial Services Institute.

By Bruce Kelly
RIAS SEP 27, 2009
Tax deferral benefits take center stage for VAs

The insurance industry predicts a new boom in variable annuities as tax deferral takes the spotlight in the near future, but financial advisers and broker-dealers aren't convinced that this will help products fly off the shelves again.

By Darla Mercado
INDUSTRY NEWS SEP 27, 2009
Top B-D exec at ING Advisors Network exits amid talk firms will be sold

Another key executive with the ING Advisors Network Inc. has stepped down, as the network's parent, ING Groep NV, continues an evaluation of the broker-dealers that could lead to their sale.

By Bruce Kelly
RIAS SEP 27, 2009
Axa exec replacing Casady as chairman of VA trade group

The Insured Retirement Institute last week chose James A. Shepherdson, executive vice president of Axa Equitable, as the group's chairman.

By Darla Mercado
REGULATION AND LEGISLATION SEP 27, 2009
ING adviser vies for Senate seat in Arkansas

Buddy Rogers, who officially tossed his hat into the ring last week for a U.S. Senate seat in Arkansas, thinks that there is one important constituency that need a stronger voice in Congress right now: the financial advisory community.

By Sue Asci
OPINION SEP 27, 2009
Making 20 years of hindsight pay off

I recently cleaned out some old files in my home office and pulled out some account statements from 2000.

By Brad McMillan
RIAS SEP 27, 2009
RIAs' asset management fees at lowest level in a decade, study shows

Registered investment advisers last year reduced their asset management fees to the lowest level in 10 years, according to Rydex/SGI's annual Advisor Benchmarking Study.

By Jed Horowitz
REGULATION AND LEGISLATION SEP 27, 2009
Fiduciary issue likely to land in SEC's lap

Although a House Financial Services subcommittee plans to discuss adviser issues at a hearing on Oct. 6, it's unlikely Congress will debate the fine points of adopting a fiduciary standard for all financial advisers.

By Sara Hansard And Jed Horowitz
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES SEP 27, 2009
Ratings agencies under fire over residential-mortgage-backed securities

By Darla Mercado
INDUSTRY NEWS SEP 27, 2009
Fidelity expands clearing business into Canada

Fidelity Investments said this morning it is expanding its clearing business into Canada, with the intention of serving U.S. broker-dealers looking for a toehold in the market, while also targeting Canadian broker-dealers.

By Bruce Kelly
INDUSTRY NEWS SEP 25, 2009
Nobel winner Stiglitz warns of continuing risks in financial system

The United States faces greater systemic risk today than it did a year ago, according to economist Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate and professor at Columbia University's graduate business school.

By Bloomberg
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES SEP 25, 2009
National ratings agencies come under fire over residential-mortgage-backed securities

National ratings agencies received criticism yesterday at a meeting of the insurance industry for their failure to properly rate residential mortgage-backed securities prior to the crisis.

By Darla Mercado
INDUSTRY NEWS SEP 25, 2009
Orders for durable goods drop an unexpected 2.4%

By Bloomberg