financial products

• 

  Bullard’s Blistering Critique of House Fiduciary Plan Offers Way Forward

  By Knut A. Rostad  |  June 4, 2013

  A congressional hearing in late May showcased the latest arguments against SEC fiduciary rulemaking.

• 

  5 Indie BDs Ordered to Pay $9.6M for Nontraded REIT Violations

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  May 22, 2013

  Massachusetts Securities Regulator William Galvin ordered five IBDs to pay $8.6 million in restitution to investors and fined them a total of $975,000 for improper sales of nontraded REITs.

• 

  The CFP Board’s CE Proposal: Real Strategies to Improve Continuing Ed

  By Michael E. Kitces  |  May 21, 2013

  In the second of a three-post series on the CFP Board’s proposal to offer continuing education itself, some modest proposals to really improve CE, along with a warning on how the Board’s proposal is rife with conflicts of interest.

• 

  REIT Returns Are on a Roll, but Some ETFs Lag

  By Janet Levaux, AdvisorOne  |  May 13, 2013

  ETFs that track REITs are doing well but aren't keeping pace with the markets as consistently as REIT indexes.

• 

  LinkedIn Courts Advisors as Social Media Use Grows

  By Joyce Hanson, AdvisorOne  |  May 2, 2013

  LinkedIn super user Cathy Curtis of Curtis Financial Planning says she uses social media to market her personal brand.

• 

  Hurricane Lessons

  By Bob Seawright  |  April 29, 2013

  When people calculate their risk of hurricane damage and make decisions about hurricane insurance, they consistently misread their prior experience and make poor choices, according to a recent study.

• 

  Reality Bites: Gen Xers Aren’t Slackers Anymore, MetLife Says

  By Joyce Hanson, AdvisorOne  |  April 26, 2013

  The unthinkable inevitable has happened: Gen Xers are identifying more with their Boomer parents as they enter middle age and shoulder the burdens of work, family and financial planning.

• 

  The CFPB Warning on Senior Designations: Off the Mark

  By Bob Clark, AdvisorOne  |  April 23, 2013

  Is cracking the whip on deceptive seminars for seniors really the most important issue a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should be pursuing?

• 

  Five Steps to Improve Gen X, Y Retirement Returns: LIMRA

  By Danielle Andrus, AdvisorOne  |  April 22, 2013

  Looking back at research it released in February on Gen X and Gen Y consumers’ financial knowledge, during a media roundtable at the 2013 Retirement Industry Conference on Thursday, LIMRA identified five steps younger investors could take to improve their outcomes in retirement.

• 

  Are Diamonds the New Gold?

  By Gil Weinreich, AdvisorOne  |  April 19, 2013

  Tight supply, growing demand, a coming ETF and a new exchange for investment-grade diamonds may add sparkle to a gem that has resisted commoditization.