Premature withdrawals from retirement accounts have become America's new piggy bank, cracked open in record amounts during lean times by people such as Cindy Cromie, who needed the money to rent a U-Haul and start a new life.
Don't get too caught up in the good times while nontraded REITs are extremely lucrative and lose sight of proper client allocations.
Mary Beth Franklin tackles three questions about Social Security survivor benefits. The questions are similar and the answer may surprise you.
Switching firms 10 years before you expect to leave the industry can provide an extra windfall – if done correctly
Aggressive monetary easing, a shale oil boom that's lowered energy costs and improving corporate balance sheets give the world's largest economy an edge over other regions.
Advisers working in bank branches alleged that the firm misclassified them to avoid paying for time beyond the traditional 40-hour workweek.
David Einhorn, manager of the $10 billion Greenlight Capital Inc., said he found a recent dinner conversation with former Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke scary.
As Fed winds down quantitative easing, interest rate hikes will be the next whammy. But there is some good news in rising house prices.
Agency still urges all Americans to create online accounts
In the wake of new SEC guidance, advisers need to brace themselves for online reviews, including negative ones. Liz Skinner on what the relaxed restrictions will mean for your business. <i>(Plus: Read <a href="http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20140409/BLOG09/140409894" target="_blank">Michael Kitces' take</a> and find out if <a href="http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20140409/FREE/140409901" target="_blank">your client review tactics are compliant</a>.)</i>
After a mostly frigid 2013 for recruiting from wirehouse brokerages, agents responsible for selling those brokers on the benefits of free agency are cautiously optimistic that a thaw has finally set in.
It took Michael Piwowar only 34 days to make his presence felt at the SEC while in her initial statements, Kara Stein was low-key. Mr. Piwowar's truculence surprised observers who had expected that his arrival, and that of Ms. Stein, would bring together a previously divided commission. Mark Schoeff Jr. explains.
ETF investors say BlackRock keeps too much of the proceeds from securities-lending business.
Adviser Stephen Besse will be part of the firm's presence in northern California.
Earnings restrictions affect you and your spouse if you are working and collecting benefits, but they disappear at full retirement age.
A Finra arbitrator who served on Finra panels for almost 15 years was removed after it was discovered that he is not a lawyer. He oversaw more than 40 cases. Were yours among them?
Wirehouse firms are revamping their succession programs with higher payouts and lower barriers to entry for advisers who are preparing to retire. The efforts are aimed at competing with independent firms that hold a reputation for the highest payouts.
Focus on the positives, but be ready to discuss the details.
If approved, the Finra rule would require brokers who receive more than $100,000 in incentive compensation to notify clients in writing; some say it could chill recruitment.
