Wives of two senior Bear Stearns investment bankers cancelled pricey interior-design contracts just two days after the firm announced its sale to J.P. Morgan for the fire-sale price of $2 a share. Interior designer Darren Henault said of one of...

Smart decisions are based on more than government statistics, agency reports, news releases, interest rates and stock quotes. We've selected a few fascinating statistics below that illuminate the markets, the world of financial services and big...

When it comes to company earnings estimates, analysts tend to be optimistic. The U.S. is probably in the midst of a recession, spurred by the credit crunch, yet analysts' earnings estimates for 2008 are very rosy indeed not a single sector is...

On April 28, 2003, the SEC, the NASD, the NYSE and various states announced a $1.4-billion landmark settlement with 10 of Wall Street's largest broker/dealers for failing to provide independent and unbiased research. The day after the announcement...

There was a time, not too long ago, when for many a tenured financial advisor, graduating to a branch-manager position was the ultimate aspiration. It was seen as an honor, a natural progression in a successful career. After all, branch office...

Nationwide Communications' owner and president Jim Usher knew his firm's finances were in a tangle. But like most small-business owners, he didn't have the wherewithal to sort them out. And he surely didn't have $200,000 to $300,000 the average...

If any industry could use a dose of optimism right now, it's financial services. And for the men and women who toil every day on behalf of their clients, this year's 28th annual Outstanding Advisor Award winners could be exactly what advisors need...

Given a choice, most of your clients would rather pay for their kids' college education from accumulated savings or an overabundance of current income (if not a full ride based on the child's expertise at Guitar Hero). But when those sources of...

The proposed FINRA rule would change current practice-which renders arbitrations a virtual black box in which the arbitrators need not explain how they decide a case.

Phoenix: "I feel like a referee," said Larry, a veteran wholesaler describing his relationship with one of his largest clients. "The old man built the business, brought his son and son-in-law in and formed the CFG Team. They have been very...