Up until a few months ago, asset allocation and diversification were unappetizing ideas. For several years, the upside action was in a select group of large-cap growth and dot-com stocks.But starting in early spring, hard-hit stocks and mutual...
Still in the dark about after-hours trading? You're not alone.Although wirehouses have been among the most powerful supporters of extended trading hours, they aren't telling brokers much about how they might be affected.So, will brokers be manning...
Congratulations! Your clients are complaining.Sounds ridiculous, right? But ask any experienced producer how much he appreciates receiving constructive criticism, and you'll immediately understand why."When we experience problems, we see big...
A.G. Edwards' Scott Pinkerton is a team player. At 36, he's also a 2.85 million-dollar producer whose approach to the business has enabled him to operate efficiently in the office, create client loyalty and still have time left to spend with his...
The College for Financial Planning in Denver last year surveyed 365 financial planners about clients' financial knowledge. It turns out clients are least smart about estate planning.The planners rated clients on the following scale: 1=not...
About 3,000 financial professionals are testing the new online matchmaking service created by Boston-based Dalbar Financial and Microsoft. Called Advisor Finder, the service links users of Microsoft's MoneyCentral site (www.moneycentral.msn.com)...
Merrill Lynch is looking to compete with E*Trade--not necessarily for online investors, but for online shoppers.Randall Langdon, Merrill's director of digital business development in Princeton, N.J., says that the firm has "a very substantial e...
You know the old saying, "Mother knows best." In Jane Stein's case, it was true.When Stein was in college, her mother went through a divorce and was forced to learn about investing. After college, Stein moved to Houston and was "26 years old and...
Alex. Brown was forced to shut down its Annapolis, Md., branch in May when 19 of 23 brokers and staff left the prior month. All joined Boston-based Tucker Anthony, opening a branch in Annapolis and nearby Easton, Md. The brokers brought about 1...
If you've been waiting for evidence of any concrete synergies between Salomon Smith Barney and its adoptive parents at Citigroup, SSB co-head of retail Jay Mandelbaum says he has the documentation. Specifically, SSB's financial consultants have...
