Q: Back when I was 18 I was charged with two felonies. On one, the charges were completely dropped the next day. For the other, it was reduced to a minor violation (not even a misdemeanor). Now I am 50. I have steered clear of any similar...
Problem: Americans are big and fat. We also are a pragmatic people who worship expediency hence the popularity of using pills to treat health problems like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. That pill fixation also applies to weight control...
One problem with focusing on big-game clients is that sometimes they grow too big a fact one West Coast wirehouse broker learned the hard way. The client in question was a good one who got even better when he sold his business, netting a cool $150...
The turnover rate (share volume on the NYSE divided by the average of shares listed) has been considered a harbinger of investor activity and confidence for decades. For instance, the turnover rate collapsed from 119 percent in 1929 to 67 percent...
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal described a probe securities regulators have launched into fee-based accounts. I paid extra attention, because charging a percentage of assets under management is the advice-and-compensation model I view...
Enticing a third-year up-and-comer to switch firms has never been a difficult proposition for many big broker/dealers. For the rep, it's a big payday and a big boost of confidence, too. But it's no secret that most firms are frequently looking for...
When the Federal Reserve signals an imminent rate rise, the news is traditionally greeted like a general alarm in the high-yield bond markets: Get out while you can! Run for your lives! But there are many who believe that a knee-jerk response...
Don't tell Brandywine Fund that fleeing stocks for cash is a safe, conservative maneuver. In 1997, at the outset of the greatest bull market of all time, Brandywine had a disastrous experience with a move to cash when it concluded that the markets...
It's not news that mixing family and business can be messy, but advisors might be surprised to know the extent to which family-owned businesses need their services. According to Boston-based Family Firm Institute, a nonprofit trade group for...
A group of top financial professionals took a break from worrying about their clients to turn their attention inward. The setting for this self-evaluation was the Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) annual conference, held this...
