There's no foolproof way to pick mutual funds that consistently outperform, but a University of Texas professor and a Fidelity Investments executive have found a way to at least improve your odds. The strategy they suggest is best summarized thus...
With the markets sagging and equity mutual funds leaking deposits like a worn tire, it's no wonder fund companies are swearing off the naughty ways of the bull market. Some of these moves are aimed at meaningful changes. Others might be as much an...
If you have affluent clients, you should know about Family Limited Partnerships (FLPs) and Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs), two extremely useful vehicles for helping reduce inheritance taxes. An FLP is simply a partnership created by two or...
This year’s Money Management Institute annual conference turns on a central fact: separately managed accounts (SMA) are in the midst of a critical wave of growth.
Kay Shirley knows solo doesn't have to mean alone. Since starting her firm, Financial Development Corp., in Atlanta more than 20 years ago, Shirley has remained the only producer in the company, with $289 million in assets under management. But...
How many of you have fed the world? Merrie Martinson of Scudder Investments, on the futility of traditional seminars, at IMCA's New York conference, Feb. 27
Conventional wisdom says it takes 21 to 28 days to develop a new habit, and that's probably why so many marketing plans already are blown to bits by the time the first quarter ends: most people can't stick to the plan long enough for it to take...
A few years back, when I was a producing financial advisor, I took it upon myself to send a newsletter, of the approved in-house variety, to my clients. The newsletter commented on markets, asset allocation issues and the economy. To add a...
When New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer finalizes his $1.4 billion conflict-of-interest suit, the settlement might be the end of one chapter in the legal saga, but it's almost certainly the beginning of another, equally perilous one. Spitzer...
Wachovia's pending acquisition of Prudential Securities is a good news/bad news story for Pru brokers. First the good: As the closing of the transaction approaches, the most seasoned of Pru's brokers may be in the catbird seat. With demand for...