No Retirement Account Left Behind

By Kerry Pechter
"Auto-portability" would consolidate a plan participant's old accounts into his or her current account, automatically. Spencer Williams and Tom Johnson of Charlotte-based Retirement Clearinghouse have spent three years trying make it happen on a large scale.

Three Advisor-Friendly Reverse Mortgage Strategies

By Kerry Pechter
In this installment of our HECM series, we review three strategies that should entice advisors: the HECM-for-purchase, the HECM-LOC for liquidity in down markets, and the HECM-LOC created at age 62 but tapped only if all other sources of cash are exhausted.

The ‘Kosher’ Reverse Mortgage (IV)

By Kerry Pechter
A kosher reverse mortgage lender will share what he or she earns when selling the loan by waiving or reducing the borrower's costs, says Wharton emeritus professor Jack Guttentag, aka "the Mortgage Professor." But not all HECM lenders keep kosher.

First Sign of Blood from DOL Fiduciary Rule

By Kerry Pechter
'The unexpected change regarding FIAs in the final DOL rule and the related Best Interest Contract Exemption has cast a cloud over our future growth rate,' said John Matovina, CEO of American Equity, the second-largest seller of fixed indexed annuities in 2015.
Featured

How The British Save More for Retirement

By Kerry Pechter
In Britain, if you contribute £100 to your defined contribution plan and have a 25% tax rate, the government adds £25 to your account. Our system doesn't work that way. All else being equal, we accumulate much less tax-deferred savings over a lifetime.
News

UBS to partner with SigFig, a robo-advisor

By Editorial Staff
The technology will allow the advisers to spend more time talking to clients and less time constructing investment portfolios and other activities that can be automated, said Tom Naratil, the president of UBS Americas. (SigFig logo at left.)

Robos force advisors to step up their games: Cerulli

By Editorial Staff
'Investors desire deeper online, goal-oriented resources, research, and content... but they lack the bandwidth or attention span to dedicate significant time toward their financial well-being,' according to Cerulli.