When Smith Barney and Legg Mason announced a deal to swap the wirehouse's asset-management business for Legg's brokerage unit, a lot of Legg reps saw an ugly storm brewing. Some made calls to recruiters and began to prepare for a move they wish...
Q: I just opened an account for a new client who said he had lost a lot of money with another firm. The ACAT (automated customer account transfer) delivered securities purchased at the earlier firm. In reviewing the client's monthly statements it...
For Cliff Josephy, the decision to leave his brokerage job was a real gamble, but one that has paid off (in the short run, at least). According to PokerPages.com, Josephy recently won $192,560 at the World Series of Poker after leaving HD Brous &...
President and chief investment officer, Emerald Asset Advisors Last business-related book you read: Technical Analysis Plain and Simple, by Michael Kahn. Kahn's an ace of an analyst writing in plain English about a valuable but misunderstood...
Collectibles such as art, antiques, jewelry, stamps, coins and automobiles can constitute a significant portion of the estate of a wealthy individual. Often and unfortunately advisors fail to focus adequate attention on planning for these...
Who would have thought that a piece of regulatory paperwork could rank among an advisor's best friends? But it's true. The piece of paperwork in question is the client account form. It's important because the financial services industry relies on...
Although the tragic loss of life in London is distressing, one lesson is that the financial markets can withstand such a shock. European stock markets all closed with losses of less than 2 percent on July 7, and U.S. stocks rose. It may be that...
It's among the thorniest of issues in the investment world: At what point does an underperforming style of investment turn appealing? The style of the moment on this account most certainly is large-cap growth. It has been, bar none, the worst...
Five years ago, Dave was a rookie rep in a UBS training class, but the former muni-bond trader could easily have been mistaken for an instructor. At 43 years old, Dave (not his real name) was an anomaly at the time an experienced businessman...
Digital audio players are everywhere these days even on the desks of Fidelity advisors. The mutual fund giant recently introduced for its independent advisors. Podcasting which derives the first part of its name from Apple Computer's iPod, the...
