How many of you have fed the world? Merrie Martinson of Scudder Investments, on the futility of traditional seminars, at IMCA's New York conference, Feb. 27
Conventional wisdom says it takes 21 to 28 days to develop a new habit, and that's probably why so many marketing plans already are blown to bits by the time the first quarter ends: most people can't stick to the plan long enough for it to take...
A few years back, when I was a producing financial advisor, I took it upon myself to send a newsletter, of the approved in-house variety, to my clients. The newsletter commented on markets, asset allocation issues and the economy. To add a...
When New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer finalizes his $1.4 billion conflict-of-interest suit, the settlement might be the end of one chapter in the legal saga, but it's almost certainly the beginning of another, equally perilous one. Spitzer...
Wachovia's pending acquisition of Prudential Securities is a good news/bad news story for Pru brokers. First the good: As the closing of the transaction approaches, the most seasoned of Pru's brokers may be in the catbird seat. With demand for...
Let's face it: In general, high-net-worth clients are a picky lot. Studies have shown that HNW individuals are dissatisfied with the performance of their portfolios and with those who have advised them. That dissatisfaction is an open invitation...
It ain't rocket science. Stocks with high betas a measure of volatility are going to move further on the upside and fall deeper on the downside. Some patient investors (remember them?) know that high-beta issues and funds that focus on them have...
For the past several years, separately managed accounts have been among the fastest growing investment vehicles. But the bear market caught up with SMAs in 2002, when assets in managed accounts dropped by $20 billion to $752 billion. The SMA...
