Research Magazine January 2013

Sidebar: Public Impact

By Jane Wollman Rusoff

Many 401(k) participants have been unaware that service provider fees come out of their retirement plans.

The Dangers of Too Much Liquidity

By Michael Finke

Which is better, a lump sum or an annuity?

Sensible Maverick

By Jane Wollman Rusoff

Turning life’s lemons into lemonade is a neat feat.

Beyond Stock Gloom

By Alexei Bayer

Since the recovery from the worldwide financial meltdown commenced in 2009, global stock markets have closely mirrored international economic fundamentals.

Annuities 2020: Will the Future of VAs Look Like Their Past?

By Moshe A. Milevsky

Perhaps the next step in the evolution of retirement annuities is to go back to the past. Maybe the annuity of the year 2020 pays out no cash at all, but instead offers an actual retirement service. Allow me to explain.

Time to Get Rich Slowly: Why Clients Need Advisors More Than Ever

By Gil Weinreich, AdvisorOne

No generation ever needed an advisor as much as today’s Americans. Your job? To help clients scrimp and save, with any spurt of portfolio growth being “a joy to behold.”

Fund Flows Top $30 Billion, Lipper Says

By Janet Levaux, AdvisorOne

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 2.54% from its September closing value in October, while the NASDAQ Composite fell 4.46%

Nuveen Investments Taps Bob Doll

By Janet Levaux, AdvisorOne

Nuveen Investments said in late November that it hired Bob Doll, formerly of BlackRock, to serve as the chief equity strategist and senior portfolio manager of its asset-management operations.

Research Affiliates, WisdomTree Settle Dispute

By Janet Levaux, AdvisorOne

Research Affiliates and WisdomTree Investments said they recently reached a settlement regarding patent infringements and that Research Affiliates will pay WisdomTree $700,000 and withdraw its lawsuit.

The Commodity Wave

By Ron DeLegge, ETFguide.com

As an asset class, commodities have always been like Rodney Dangerfield; they can’t get any respect.

Tech, Where Hast Thou Gone?

By Ron DeLegge, ETFguide.com

No other industry sector has more innovation per square foot than technology.

RBS Launches ETNs

By Ron DeLegge, ETFguide.com

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced the launch of five new ETNs that track the RICI Enhanced Commodity Indices.

Consumers Get Upbeat

By Ron DeLegge, ETFguide.com

How important are consumers to the economy?

Wells Fargo Advisors Names Kowach New Head of PCG

By Janet Levaux, AdvisorOne

Wells Fargo Advisors tapped David Kowach president of the firm’s Private Client Group in November.

Wirehouses, Others Actively Attract Reps

By Janet Levaux, AdvisorOne

In the final months of 2012, the wirehouse firms continued to recruit advisors from each other and from other broker-dealers.

Independent Advisors Giving Back

By Janet Levaux, AdvisorOne

Total-Return Investing: The Case Stays Strong

By Ed McCarthy, CFP

While clients’ financial goals and risk tolerance tend to drive their portfolio allocation, there is a significant role for total-return investing among most investors, including those focused primarily on income or growth, experts say.