As equity funds enjoy record inflow, veteran market-watchers fret
“The Federal Reserve is creating about $4 billion in new money every business day, and even a few Fed officials are concerned that this money printing is blowing up...
In settling ERISA violation case, ING Life will pay $5.2 million
The amount represents “net gains pocketed by the company due to how certain transaction processing errors were handled between 2008 and 2011," the DoL said.
Security Benefit’s EliteDesign VA adds 71 investment options
The new offerings include investment options from Dimensional Fund Advisors, JP Morgan and other firms, as well as new underlying funds from Guggenheim Investments.
Well-known CFP bases new venture on mining old VAs
New Jersey advisor Mark Cortazzo has started a new service, Annuity Review, to make sure individuals and their advisors understand the value hidden in the variable annuities they already...
The Missing Document
As he got older, my father never wanted to share his financial secrets with me, my brother or my sister. When he died a few weeks ago, we got...
Who Do You Love (in the Retirement Income Space)?
Cogent Research has just published its broad, bi-annual survey of financial planners, RIAs, and investment advisors. They were asked to choose their favorite income product providers.
CFP Board releases survey and guidebook on using social media
The CFP Board's Social Media Guide for CFP® Professionals is intended to help the nation’s 67,000 CFP professionals promote their designations through social media.
Taxable bond funds gain $266.1 billion in 2012: Cerulli
Despite seeing a $105 billion net outflow in 2012, U.S. stock funds remained the largest asset class, with a market value of $3.48 trillion at year-end, compared with $2.51...
Trading volume in VIX futures rose to new record in January
January 2013 was the first month in CBOE Futures Exchange (CFE) history where daily volume exceeded 100,000 contracts each trading day. On January 16, CFE open interest surpassed the...
In BlackRock asset allocation contest, the winners were…
... three Duke students whose proposed 43% stocks/57% bonds portfolio had a projected average annual return of 9.7%. They won an interview at BlackRock and a shot at summer...
Matrix Financial Solutions releases practice guide for plan fiduciaries
The guide explains the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) fiduciary rules and standards that may apply when advisors deliver investment advice to retirement plan clients.
Lincoln Financial to use Fiserv’s Retirement Income Illustrator
Retirement Income Illustrator is designed to present retirement spending requirements and distribution alternatives in the context of withdrawal risk, longevity risk, survivor needs and healthcare risks, Fiserv said.
Multiple-employer plans should file only one Form 5500: ASPPA
"As might be expected, the lack of guidance on how to deal with this inconsistency has caused a great deal of consternation," said ASPPA counsel Craig Hoffman in an...
IRI announces enhanced members-only website
Known until 2008 at the National Association of Variable Annuities, the IRI has more than 500 members, including insurers, broker-dealers and distributors, asset managers, solution providers, and financial advisors.
Columbia creates blog to monitor securities law enforcement
The brainchild of law professor John C. Coffee Jr., the director of the law school’s Center on Corporate Governance, the blog will be a forum for debate over the...
Jefferson National VAs to offer Braver Capital tactically managed portfolios
Braver’s Tactical Balanced, Tactical Core Bond, Tactical Opportunity and Tactical Sector Rotation portfolios use quantitative algorithms applied to asset class price movement to identify trends in numerous asset classes...
Allianz Life Launches New Bonus-Laden FIA
Allianz 222 Annuity is the third fixed indexed annuity offered through the Allianz Preferred platform, joining the previously issued 360 and 365i contracts.
Europe moves toward financial transactions tax
In October 2012, Italy, Spain, Estonia and Slovakia pledged support for the tax, bringing the number of member states backing the FTT to 11, higher than the minimum of...
Nationwide enhances VA alternative asset options
Ten new guidance models, known as Nationwide Guided Portfolio Strategies (GPS), allow advisors and clients to choose among multiple pre-packaged options focused on alternatives.
Obama nominates Mary Jo White to chair SEC
A Wall Street and Washington veteran, White has served as federal prosecutor, white-collar defense attorney, and director of the NASDAQ stock exchange.
