The 1984 movie Repo Man had a number of irreverent things to say about society, but none so memorable as its nose-thumbing at the nation's obsession with branding. As the movie's antihero, Otto, wends his way through the car-repossession business...
A shaky market environment in 2004 didn't stop the largest brokerage firms from fighting tooth-and-nail for the best reps, and, heading into 2005, similar rules apply. This year, firms are expected to get more creative in the courtship process...
Q: In March 2003, I purchased $80,000 of Franklin New York Tax-Free A shares for my 70+-year-old client, who wanted to hold them long-term and was eligible for the $50,000 breakpoint. She didn't need the income (as evidenced by her reinvestment of...
Hedge funds can be as complex as rocket science, so it's comforting to know that a former rocket scientist is trying to make them easier to understand. Ron Surz, president of San Clemente, Calif.-based PPCA, thinks performance evaluation tools for...
The $64,000 Question: John Van, head of Murphy Van Securities, in Clifton, N.Y., and host of a radio show called The Murphy Van Financial News Hour, was barred from the industry by the NASD for defrauding an incapacitated client. Van's customer...
Hendrie Weisinger, a financial psychologist, has published a book for reps looking to get their psyches in order. In his The Emotionally Intelligent Financial Advisor, (Dearborn, 2004) Weisinger emphasizes the importance of managing emotions by...
The coming year will bring forth unprecedented opportunities to attract wealthy clients. In 2005, an estimated 17.4 million U.S. households will have annual incomes exceeding $100,000. Further, the number of millionaire households, which jumped...
Merrill Lynch has hired Michael O'Keefe to run investment management and guidance in its Global Private Client Group. The position, which was created specifically for O'Keefe, will involve choosing the third-party managers and mutual funds that...
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...
