The ranks of independent broker-dealers grew 4.7 percent in 2010 and in an industry dependent on high-touch financial advice, bigger means better in terms of bringing in new business.
The uniform standard of fiduciary duty called for by the Securities and Exchange Commission staff last week is likely to throw a wrench in the wirehouse business model
Affluent investors stampeded to convert IRAs to Roth IRAs last year, particularly at the end of 2010.
The devil, as the old saying goes, is in the details
Melding the search results of the two systems the public uses to look up information about financial advisers and broker-dealers will make it easier for investors to investigate their financial professionals, according to an SEC staff report released last week
R.J. Parsons put stop-loss orders on his 5,000 shares of MannKind Corp. (MNKD) thinking they would protect him from losing a chunk of his investment
Whichever team walks away victorious from the Super Bowl, investors are likely to be the winners
Notwithstanding a recent crackdown by the SEC, the market for life settlements — which froze during the credit crisis — is beginning to warm up
Danny Sarch is entitled to pursue his blatant commercial self-interest through his regular attacks on Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, but he is not entitled to make false statements. In addition to inaccurate calculations regarding cash deferrals, his claim that “nobody ever suggested” branch manager bonuses “would be in anything other than cash” is untrue. <a href=http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20110125/BLOG01/110129981> (Read Mr. Sarch's Jan. 21 posting.)</a>
Beacon Financial Partners about a year ago realized that it was time for the growing advisory firm to move to a more sophisticated broker-dealer.
If you're ever in the mood for a glimpse of raw nature that closely parallels the human condition, read Annie Dillard's Pulitzer Prize winning Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
Claim life settlement provider harmed investors by using flawed actuarial statistics
One of the world's most influential forecasters thinks the planet is headed for a prolonged economic slump reminiscent of the 1870s. Yes, the 1870s.
The U.S. has been knocked off its perch as the preferred market for global investors. Instead, analysts and traders see big money being made in emerging markets, and in particular, Brazil.
Prudential Financial Inc. has taken the crown as the biggest seller of variable annuities and overall individual annuities in the U.S. through the first half of this year, according to data released today by LIMRA.
Insurer aiming to regain independence; market conditions the wild card
Stop losses were intended to help minimize the damage from falling stock prices. But experts say the orders often backfire, leaving investors dazed, disgruntled and disenchanted.
Although Americans' overall financial security and confidence in their ability to pay for their kids' college tuition has increased slightly over the past six months, financial advisers are observing mostly negative attitudes — with a few surprises
