In the wake of the improprieties and scandals of the past few years, the financial services industry is abuzz with talk of ethics and image. One of the key questions firms are asking is what role, if any, branding plays in their credibility and in...
Want to invest in China? Consider Australian mining companies. Commercially speaking, China and Australia are growing closer by the minute. China's ambassador to Australia, Fu Ying, recently told a Sydney audience that the gears of the two...
The mutual fund scandals have put advisors in a tough position: Recommending a fund that ends up in the headlines can deal a serious blow to an advisor's reputation and can even mean lost clients. One way to be safe is to stick with companies that...
At most publicly traded national broker/dealers, about 35 percent of employees are called financial advisors, according to Keefe Bruyette & Woods. Which means A.G. Edwards is positively overflowing with reps 45 percent of all workers at the 15,400...
On his personal weblog, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban announced plans to start a hedge fund based in sports gambling. Returns would be based on how fund managers fare against Vegas spreads.
Think U.S. markets are reasonably valued? Think again. Earnings are recovering, so the bear market must be on the run, right? Think again. Given the president's mandate, Social Security may be privatized and the era of tax cuts will surely...
It's a rare event indeed when an IRS ruling is cause for celebration, but such was the case in April when the tax-meisters made some alternative deferred-compensation funding investments more tax friendly. Specifically, the IRS ruled that an...
Certain non-U.S. citizens particularly self-employed business entrepreneurs and executives employed by multinational corporations can avail themselves of various tax and estate-planning opportunities. This group includes those who move to, or...
