Recently added articles from Financial Planning:
Oh, the drama; It's been a year of shocks, scandals, crashes, collapses. and yet, broker-dealers persevere. in the face of new regulation and slower growth, opportunities remain.(Feature)(Company overview)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Paul Menchaca What a year. When we published last year's survey results, most independent broker-dealers were riding a wave of strong profits and revenues, buoyed in part by the burgeoning wealth of the baby boomers and their prodigious IRA rollovers. While the industry ...
FP 50; The Biggest, Fastest-Growing Independent Broker-Dealers 2009.(Special Report)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Editorial Staff This year, Financial Planning surveyed the industry for the 24th time, and we were surprised and relieved to find most independent broker-dealers going strong-or at least toughing out the downturn. Despite the dramas, the scandals, the ...
Know the Score; Today, high credit scores are a financial asset. are you helping clients make the most of theirs?(The Client)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Donald Jay Korn Ever since subprime mortgagesbecame more sub than prime, lenders have been tightening up. The days of the nothing-down, no-doc mortgage are gone. Returning to reality, homebuyers need a down payment and proof of income to get a mortgage. ...
Annuity Ladders; This old technique is new again, as advisors seek to create steady retirement income streams in a volatile climate.(The Client)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Dave Lindorff The collapse of financial markets has left people nearing retirement in a state of high anxiety. Many portfolios took a 40% hit over the past year, and despite the stock market's rebound the crisis is far from over. The market could still go down, and for ...
Culture Clash; Before they can become strategic partners, CPAs and financial advisors need to change some negative perceptions of one another .(Elite Advisor)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: John J. Bowen Jr. A few months ago, I told you that now is the perfect time to pursue strategic alliances with other professionals-and in particular, CPAs, who are ideal partners for advisors who use a consultative wealth management approach with their clients (see ...
Invest in People; It's tempting to turn inward in bad times, but those who do miss new opportunities. here's how to encourage yourself-and your staff-to embrace growth.(Profitable Practice)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Deena Katz During the Great Depression, two separate cereal companies, Post and Kellogg, were competing for the cold cereal market. Both companies had toasted flakes but most consumers were still eating oatmeal because it was hot and at least seemed healthier. As the ...
Falling Fast; Has the drop in variable annuity sales bottomed out? only time will tell.(The Data)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Frank O'connor New sales of variable annuities continued to decline in the fourth quarter of 2008, falling to $32.6 billion from third-quarter sales of $37 billion, an 11.9% drop. More alarming is the 30.2% drop from the $46.7 billion sold in the fourth quarter of 2007 ....
Stretch that Gift; Split-dollar insurance planning can maximize the power of an estate plan while it frees up cash for gifts in the here and now.(High Net Worth)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Martin Shenkman Okay, you focus on wealth management, not insurance, so why do you want an insurance trick in your kit bag? Because, in the right circumstances, a split-dollar arrangement can be a great tool to help a client achieve important overall financial planning ...
Post-Boom; As insurers try to sell annuities to jittery consumers, many are turning back the clock on product design.(Industry)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Paul Menchaca It is no secret that as investors continue their flight to safety, the variable annuity boom has at least deflated, if not entirely gone bust.More conservative retirement products are now in favor. Sales of variable annuities topped out at ...
Mapping Indexes; Introducing a groundbreaking new tool for analyzing and selecting index funds and etfs.(The Portfolio)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Richard A. Ferri Index investing continues to grow in size and scope. The Morningstar Principia database shows that about 15% of distinct portfolios are index-based products. These funds are either open-end index funds or exchange-traded products (ETPs) that track ...
The Value Premium; Investors building passive beta-based portfolios should overweight value indexes and underweight growth indexes.(The Portfolio)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Craig L. Israelsen Nature vs. nurture, value vs. growth ....These are the endless questions of life. I don't have the right data to tackle the nature/nurture argument, but I will try my hand at the value vs. growth discussion. Which style has rewarded domestic ...
Loss Leaders; After the worst year for mutual funds in decades, future gains are likely to be less taxing for shareholders.(The Portfolio)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Donald Jay Korn The Internal Revenue Code is replete with heads-you-lose, tails-you-don't-win (or don't win much) provisions. Taxable net capital gains are unlimited, for example, while only $3,000 worth of net capital losses can be deducted each year. For ...
Buy and Hope; How did this tried and true investment strategy lead advisors into the mauling bear?(The Portfolio)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Ilana Polyak In late 2002, Richard Bregman of MJB Asset Management in New York was pitching a new prospect, the mother of a client. The referral should have cinched the deal, except for one thing: The woman couldn't stomach severe losses, and the S&P 500 had dropped 47% ...
On The Job.(Up Front)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Byline: Editorial Staff Woodbury Financial Services in Woodbury, Minn., named Deb Berg vice president and chief administrative officer of operations and technology. Berg previously held several technology development roles at Woodbury before joining Hartford Life in 2004. ...
CE QUIZ.(CE QUIZ)
May 01, 2009 ... Byline: Editorial Staff FROM "THINKING SMALL," PAGE 35: 1. How many stocks does the Buffalo Small Cap fund hold? a. 80 b. 90 c. 75 d. 60 FROM "THE DE-WEALTH EFFECT," PAGE 39: 2. According to the ...
New Kids in Town; Young investors have less to lose in this market, and it just might make them your ideal new clients.(The Client)
May 01, 2009 ... Byline: Stacy Schultz Today, advisors spend much of their timeworking with clients, whether talking them down from the ledge or defending their long-term strategy amid double-digit losses. Some clients have become as difficult to deal with as the plunging market. But in these ...
Free and Clear; In A Time Of Deleveraging, Many Clients Prefer To Have No Debt On Their Personal Balance Sheets-mortgages Included.(The Client)
May 01, 2009 ... Byline: Donald Jay Korn Investment banks aren't the only ones deleveraging today. Many consumers are cutting debt, and planners are helping them. "We've been very involved," says Lucas Bucl, a planner at Accredited Investors in Edina, Minn. "Being proactive resonates with ...
Darwinian Markets; Does an evolutionary model explain what has been going on in the markets-and in planners' practices?(Columns)
May 01, 2009 ... Byline: Glenn G. Kautt My last column discussed specific actions our firm is taking as the economy and markets have become more challenging. Now it's clear that the economic situation is not the result of a single-point crisis that will quickly pass; my quick-response solutions ...
Formal Wear; Now may be the time for a nontraditional, streamlined business plan.(Columns)
May 01, 2009 ... Byline: John J. Bowen Jr. In these challenging times, it's more important than ever for you to have a clear road map for your business, specific professional objectives and the commitment to pursuing your goals. In short, you need a business plan. CEG Worldwide's ...
Letters.(Letters)
May 01, 2009 ... Byline: Editorial Staff CALLING MAJOR PLAYERS How can you write an article about long-term-care insurance without discussing the three major players: Northwestern Mutual Life, New York Life and Guardian? In "Future Shock," (April), you posted a table, "Strength in ...