Ex-Securities America broker suspended for hidden options trades that hurt client

December 11, 2018

A Securities America broker who was fired has been suspended from the industry for six months in the wake of allegations that he traded options in a client's account without notifying his firm. The broker, Michael D. Jackson, recommended that...

Fidelity dominates money-market industry as assets grow to $629 billion

December 10, 2018

Fidelity Investments is dominating a business that is thriving even as stocks and bonds struggle. Fidelity's money-market assets grew to $629 billion as of Oct. 31 — nearly twice as much as its closest rival, Vanguard Group, according to Crane...

BlackRock integrates retirement income calculator with eMoney

December 10, 2018

BlackRock continues its push into the market of retail financial advisers with a new integration between its iRetire retirement income calculator and eMoney Advisor, one of the most popular financial planning tools among independent advisers....

A mastermind of survival, Credit Suisse CEO must now jump-start a turnaround

December 7, 2018

Tidjane Thiam is still standing. By simply surviving as chief of Credit Suisse Group AG, the Ivory Coast-born trained engineer has done what more experienced bankers couldn't in trying to fix Europe's troubled banks. With a restructuring plan...

Alternative strategies prove their worth as stocks turn bearish

December 7, 2018

As stock market volatility returns in earnest, investors who have waited patiently in alternative investments are starting to reap some of the benefits. Though liquid alternative mutual fund categories have generally been out of favor against...

Finra exams find fault with sales of variable annuities, nontraded REITs and private placements

December 7, 2018

Variable annuities, nontraded REITs and private placements are among the primary areas in which brokerage firms and their representatives have demonstrated lax compliance, according to a new Finra report detailing recent examination findings....

Folio Financial launches platform to build next generation of robo advice

December 6, 2018

Folio Financial has a new technology platform that it says will pave the way for the next generation of digital advice. The parent of Folio Institutional describes its new Digital Wealth Platform as a suite of application programming interfaces...

Bitwise launches two new funds to capitalize on dip in cryptocurrency market

December 5, 2018

The downturn in U.S. stocks is nothing compared to the sell-off cryptocurrency traders are experiencing. Bitcoin plunged 5.2% Tuesday to $3,700, the lowest it's been since November 2017, according to MarketWatch. Ether, one of bitcoin's largest...

Bonds are pulling portfolios into negative territory, not stocks

December 5, 2018

The stock market's 3% drop Tuesday provides the latest proof that volatility is back. But the recent gyrations in major stock market indexes doesn't tell the full story of what's happening inside client portfolios. While marquee benchmarks like...

Resilience, Not Reliance

December 5, 2018

For the Month Ending October 31, 2018 The Morningstar® Wide Moat Focus IndexSM (MWMFTR, or “U.S. Moat Index”) displayed strength in October relative to U.S. large cap stocks as represented by the Morningstar® US Large Cap IndexSM. The...

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Robo startups turn to low-risk offerings in anticipation of downturn

December 4, 2018

Most robo-advisers have known only one kind of economy: perpetual growth. But with the prospect of a long-overdue downturn looming, some wealth management startups are taking steps to mitigate financial risks for their customers — and themselves....

Worldly adviser excels at working with others, especially outsiders

December 4, 2018

Chris Chen was 18 years old when he moved to the U.S. from Europe, where his Chinese father and German mother met each other in Spain. Mr. Chen was born in Switzerland and grew up in Belgium and France before his family moved to America in 1978,...

UBS Global Wealth Management will give ESG scores to funds

December 3, 2018

UBS Global Wealth Management will score the environmental, social and governance strategies of investment funds available to its advisers and clients starting next year. The scores will be placed on all long-only equity and bond mutual funds...

Regional bank ETFs suffer as housing market cools

December 3, 2018

With interest rates rising and the housing market slumping, exchange-traded fund buyers aren't banking on regional banks. Investors pulled $547 million from the $4 billion SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE) in November, its biggest monthly...

Are stocks ready for a rally?

December 3, 2018

The easing of U.S.-China trade tensions might not be as unabashedly bullish as investors had expected. When the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday was unable to sustain a 400-plus gain on news of the weekend agreement to delay a planned...

BlackRock emerging-market ETF had record month amid trade fight

December 3, 2018

The possibility of easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China is lifting global markets, particularly riskier assets. While emerging markets are benefiting, the reality is investors have been pouring in for at least a month. The $50 billion...

TD Ameritrade partners with popular Chinese app WeChat

December 3, 2018

TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation has a new partnership with WeChat, a hugely popular Chinese app used for messaging, social media and mobile payments that has been criticized for violating users' privacy. Through a mini program built within...

For majority of affluent Americans, money trumps love

November 30, 2018

Money talks — especially in relationships. When looking for a partner, 56% of affluent Americans want someone who provides financial security, versus 44% who want to be "head over heels" in love, according to more than 1,000 respondents surveyed...