The elimination of the income limit on Roth IRA conversions starting next year could lead to a “Roth revolution,” according to David Polstra, a partner at the advisory firm Brightworth Private Wealth Counsel.
E-Z Data Inc. —the company behind SmartOffice a web-based customer relationship management application used by investment advisers— was acquired today by Ebix, Inc. for $50 million.
Both good companies and troubled companies have some lessons to learn
The Investment Adviser Association supports the Obama's administration's efforts to ban mandatory arbitration clauses in securities contracts.
It seems that every corner of the financial services industry is starting to make use of social media.
The Securities and Exchange Commission would be expected to define a fiduciary standard that would be applied to brokers and investment advisers, according to draft legislation released this afternoon by House Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Paul Kanjorski, (D-Penn.).
In a lawsuit filed today, State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says the two companies knowingly assigned false ratings to securities tied to subprime mortgages.
Software and IT services giant SunGard Data Systems Inc. has partnered with four third-party administrators including: APA Benefits Inc., CMC Interactive LLC, Ingham Retirement Group, and KTRADE to provide<a href="http://sungard.com/financialsystems/productofferings/wmexchgtradfundssolution.aspx" target=”_blank”> SunGard's Exchange Traded Funds solution</a> launched in July in conjunction with iShares.
Advent Software Inc. unveiled version 3.0 of its Advent Revenue Center product today.
A prominent wirehouse rep and his Hawaii-based team — <a href= http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090929/FREE/909299980&ht=choy>who rather suddenly left</a> Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. in September — have formed a new advisory firm.
Back in May, we introduced you to <a href="//www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090501/REG/905019982&ht=SimpliFi"" target="”_blank”" 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.
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.
In an effort to attract stockbrokers who are migrating to a fee-based advisory practice, First Allied Securities Inc., this week will introduce a “hybrid” operational platform that has been engineered by Pershing LLC.
Same market, different outcome.
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.
I recently cleaned out some old files in my home office and pulled out some account statements from 2000.
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.
I'm willing to bet that a number of advisers have a venerable Texas Instruments Inc.<a href="//education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/productDetail/us_baii_plus.html"" target="”_blank”" rel="noopener noreferrer">BA II</a> calculator either sitting on their desk, or in a nearby drawer. I'd also be willing to bet that most of you are too self-conscious to be seen in public with it.
A CEO of one of the independent brokerage shops told me a story the other day.
A former broker at Prudential Securities Inc. charged with fraudulently trading mutual funds for millions of dollars in commissions has been sentenced to two months in a halfway house.