In League with the Angel of Death

Lawsuits filed in Rhode Island, New York and Illinois shed light on the sinister, multi-million-dollar strategy of using the dying as fronts to exploit variable annuity loopholes.

Easing a Widow’s Hardship

What's the best way for a 62-year-old man to say “I love you” to his wife? By waiting to claim Social Security benefits until he reaches full retirement age or later. Here's our third article in a series on retirement risks.

In Search of Plan C

“We have a crisis of confidence regarding retirement,” said assistant Secretary of Labor Phyllis C. Borzi at the NIRS conference in Washington, D.C. Tuesday.

The Strongest Financial Brands Are…

In Cogent Research's Investor Brandscape 2010 survey, Vanguard, Charles Schwab and TIAA-CREF earned top honors for brand strength. But many affluent investors are mistrustful of the financial industry and uncertain about the future.
Featured

Robin Hood or Just Robbin’?

Rhode Island attorney Robert Flanders said "stranger-originated annuity transactions" are perfectly legal.

The Exploitation of Sherry Pratt

Identity theft does not begin to describe the harm done to a quadriplegic woman who died of bedsores in a Chicago nursing home.
News

Correction

We erred in reporting that “When a husband in a retired couple (both at least age 62) dies, his widow's Social Security benefit, if lower, rises to match his own.”

Where’s The Alpha?

"Academics continue to create analytical solutions that rarely apply in the human world," says this Denver advisor.