In this section we present key findings and insights from our survey questions on practice management and operations, including services offered, the most time-consuming activities, professional designations, custody relationships and documentation trends.
Deal with the mortgage crisis. Minimize the pain of a hedge fund implosion. Play a game of bridge. Smoke a J. That may be a day in the life of Bear Stearns Chief Executive, Jimmy Cayne.
By now, advisors have been bombarded with talk of “going independent.” It's a phrase that is regularly circulated in the hallways and offices of wirehouses and regional broker/dealers, and in the exhibit halls of major industry conferences. The...
ARE YOU CHARGING ENOUGH? That's hard to say. These days, discounting runs rampant in the financial-advisory industry: Firms allow giant haircuts on commissions, wrap-account fees and even fully waived mutual fund loads. Meanwhile, fees on assets...
Randall W. Epright has been appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer of AIG Advisor Group, and senior vice president of Operations and Systems for AIG SunAmerica Asset Management Corp. LPL Financial Services has named Derek...
Here's one way to evaluate equity research: Measure the impact it has on stock prices. Bespoke Investment Group, a financial research firm, did just that, and apparently, Robert W. Baird takes top honors. Out of 16 firms, Baird's upgrades impacted...
For decades, most financial advisors have clung to a central belief about asset allocation: The older you are, the more fixed income you should hold. Retirees should gradually shift away from equities, and into bonds, the thinking goes. That way...
Most clients wouldn't question the superiority of a 10-percent return over a 5 percent one. Or would they? For some accounts, it's not so much where they end up, but how they got there. Reporting gross returns even when they're not so gross gives...
What book has had the greatest impact on your career? Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crocket Johnson. Not only is it a great story it's a great foundation for any budding entrepreneur. One luxury you cannot do without? Taking a family vacation...
Is there anything you can't find on Craigslist these days? How about good financial advice? A self-proclaimed spectacularly beautiful female (aged 25) posted on Craigslist in September that she was seeking advice on how to find a rich Wall Street...
Registered Rep. spoke with Boris Schlossberg about the dollar's recent decline. Registered Rep.: What are the major reasons behind the weakness in the U.S. dollar? Boris Schlossberg: The biggest reason for the weakness in the U.S. dollar is the...
