Erin Kello | May 23
Direxion Funds' CEO Dan O'Neill examines new products and strategies that will be the next phase in the evolution of ETFs.
Jesse Westbrook | May 22
Hedge funds’ returns have stayed “lackluster” this year, with the $2.3 trillion industry trailing the gains of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index by about 10 percentage points, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Raffaele Savi, Kevin Franklin and Paul Ebner | May 22
There is a way to be invested in stocks that can help mitigate volatility: Employ an investment strategy that seeks to take advantage of global stock market inefficiencies to profit in both up and down markets.
Erin Kello | May 20
Credit Suisse has filed with the SEC to launch the Gold and Income Strategy Fund, which will be available in institutional shares
Mary Schroeder | May 17
To bring alternative investments to a wider investor base, Goldman Sachs Asset Management has launched the Goldman Sachs Multi-Manager Alternatives Funds.
May 14
Looking for international investing ideas? Every year, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney unveils its list of global investment ideas. Its 2012 list generally posted strong gains led by emerging markets equities (up 19.1%), dividend aristocrats (up 16.9%), U.S. large-cap growth (up 15.3%), and global gorillas (up 13.4%).
Mary Schroeder | May 14
Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners announced the launch of the AIP Dynamic Alternative Strategies Fund, its first mutual fund.
Paula Vasan | May 10
Advisors debate the merits of alternative investing for their clients at NAPFA in Las Vegas.
Editorial Staff | May 01
For the head of Ameriprise Financial's Personal Advisors Group, the ultimate compliment is to have a client turn to his planner in time of crisis.
Charles R. Chaffin | May 01
While the planning profession has evolved considerably, there is still work to be done.
Dave Michaels and Joshua Gallu | Apr 29
Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Mary Jo White is pushing to adopt a rule allowing hedge funds to advertise in a move consumer advocates say could fail to protect unsophisticated investors, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Hung Tran | Apr 23
The Goldman Sachs Multi-Manager Alternatives Fund is starting to take shape as it nears its launch.
Hung Tran | Apr 03
Asset managers have taken notice of the the proliferation of alternative mutual funds in the retail and institutional channels and have changed their game plan accordingly.
Teck Lim | Apr 02
Baldwin Brothers, a Massachusetts-based wealth management firm and family office with $1 billion AUM, launches sustainable wealth management platform, Arjuna Capital.
Ilana Polyak | Apr 01
Adhering to Shariah principles, Amana Growth is also attractive to many non-Muslims.
Michael J. Nathanson | Apr 01
A smart human capital strategy is key to a successful wealth management company.
Jim Grote | Apr 01
Since taking over as CEO of 115-year-old Bartlett & Co., Kelley Downing has overseen an ownership buyback and steady growth.
Miriam Rozen | Apr 01
Are planners better off working in states with fewer competitors? Not everyone agrees on the answer.
Editorial Staff | Apr 01
Next month's New York gathering offers sessions on divorce planning, career development, digital marketing and more.
Donald Jay Korn | Apr 01
Amid the 31 initial public offerings that took place in the first quarter, one key theme emerged: a new hunt for yield, according to a new report from Renaissance Capital.
Mar 22
It’s tax season, and that means a lot of scrambling to prepare and find ways to cut taxes. But advisors are skeptical that accountants are making all the right moves.
Donald Jay Korn | Mar 13
More advisors say tax deferral will become increasingly important in annuity sales. In a recent poll by the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI), 28% of advisors expect tax deferral to take on greater importance in the next five years, a “notable increase” from 20% of advisors expressing this opinion in 2011.
Bei Hu | Mar 12
Financial Risk Management Ltd., a unit of the world’s largest publicly traded hedge-fund manager Man Group Plc, may see the best return from its multistrategy funds of funds since 2009, said its chief investment officer.
Irene Park | Mar 05
Principal Global Investors is betting big on alternatives.
Dennis Stearns | Mar 01
How one firm is preparing for a few of the megatrends heading our way.
Jim Grote | Mar 01
RegentAtlantic has built up a $2.4 billion firm by rounding up a baker's dozen of niche-focused wealth advisors.
Editorial Staff | Mar 01
Many women say their current financial professionals don't measure up. Shouldn't you be offering your services instead?
Bei Hu | Feb 25
Hedge fund assets worldwide may increase 11% to $2.5 trillion by year-end, according to the survey by the Germany’s largest bank.
Feb 20
Call it irresistible. In the US alone, the ETF market is well above the $1 trillion mark and rising. What’s driving ETF growth? Experts say one factor is “fairness.”
Ilana Polyak | Feb 01
Named for a Gospel passage, the Matthew 25 fund has been churning out superior performance for a decade and a half.
Jim Grote | Feb 01
Raoul Rodriguez Walters' planning practice specializes in the intricacies of financial migration.
Samantha Allen | Jan 31
Classic investment style boxes are out and themes are in, Burt White, LPL Financial’s managing director of research, told advisors.
Hung Tran | Jan 24
For alternative mutual funds, 2012 was a mixed bag.
Hung Tran | Jan 23
Brett Meili joined U.S. Bancorp Fund Services as legal counsel to provide support for the organizations’ growing alternative investment products and services.
Hung Tran | Jan 23
Janus Capital Group has launched the Janus Diversified Alternatives Fund (DAF), which will bet on the equity, fixed income, commodity, and currency asset classes.
Hung Tran | Jan 22
Altegris is looking to add a pair of alternative mutual funds to its portfolio in March.
Jan 11
International fund of hedge funds Grosvenor Capital Management is taking a stab at the mutual fund space with…an alternative fund of funds.
Donald Jay Korn | Jan 10
Thomas Kane, a UBS financial advisor who ranks number 29 on our list, has turned to hedge funds, private equity and real estate to bolster his clients’ portfolios.
Hung Tran | Jan 03
Bruce Karpati, chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement division's asset management unit, has a few choice words for hedge funds looking to get into the mutual fund space.
Jim Grote | Jan 01
Dale Yahnke has built up $2.1 billion in AUM by focusing on low costs and specific solutions.
Editorial Staff | Jan 01
Calendar
Editorial Staff | Jan 01
Online community nets its 1,000th member.
Irene Park | Dec 21
While the bloom is still on the alternative mutual fund rose, 2012 hasn't been as kind to alternatives as in years past.
Dakin Campbell | Dec 19
Wells Fargo & Co., the biggest U.S. bank by market value, bought a stake in Rock Creek Group LP to provide more hedge-fund offerings to clients amid a push to double the asset-management unit within seven years.
Greg Anderson | Dec 11
Financial advisors and investors now see value of investing in managed futures, particularly in times of market stress.
Joe Russo | Dec 01
When we're lumped in with all financial professionals, the value we offer is compromised.
Ilana Polyak | Dec 01
Worried about the poor fiscal health of the U.S., FPA Capital doubles down on quality names.
Jim Grote | Dec 01
After a long time focused on medical professionals, Cindy Conger's new practice targets female clients. That means doing a few things differently.
Ann Marsh | Nov 26
Across the asset class of emerging market debt, upgrades are far outpacing downgrades. As a result, more than 50% of emerging market fixed income investments have become investment grade, says Luz Padilla, senior portfolio manager of the emerging markets fixed income strategy at DoubleLine Capital in Los Angeles.
Ann Marsh | Nov 21
Part of the steady uptick in investment in emerging market fixed income is due to the appearance of new players from the emerging markets themselves.
Ann Marsh | Nov 20
There are a host of reasons why emerging market debt has been looking sweeter to investors.
Zahra Hankir | Nov 06
Credit Suisse Group AG and Qatar Holding LLC, a unit of the Persian Gulf emirate’s sovereign- wealth fund, agreed to form asset manager Aventicum Capital Management to boost investments in emerging markets.
Joe Richter | Nov 05
Hedge funds cut bullish wagers on commodities by the most since June as prices retreated to a three-month low on mounting concern that Europe’s debt crisis will worsen and U.S. growth slow.
Katie Kuehner-Hebert | Nov 01
Living abroad seems like an inexpensive option for some prospective retirees, but there are many issues to consider.
Elizabeth Campbell and John Detrixhe | Nov 01
Slumping energy and metal prices sent commodities to their biggest monthly loss since May, lagging behind stocks, bonds and the dollar, as the global economy grew at the slowest pace since the 2009 recession.
Hung Tran | Oct 29
Goldman Sachs is calling it quits in Brazil, Korea and India.
Donald Jay Korn | Oct 26
The past decade been a daunting time for stock market investors, but judicious use of alternatives could have brightened clients’ spirits, according to a study by John Hancock Financial Services.
Oct 23
As alternative products become more popular and accessible, Cole Wilcox, the CEO and chief investment officer of Longboard Asset Management, explains how his firm builds and prices managed futures mutual funds and their place in a client's portfolio.
Donald Jay Korn | Oct 22
Total assets in registered alternative mutual funds and exchange-traded funds are projected to reach $330 billion by year-end 2012—nearly double the $169 billion of assets in 2007. If the industry can raise advisors’ and clients’ comfort level with liquid alternatives, that figure could virtually double again, to $650 billion in 2017, according to a new study by Financial Research Corporation (FRC).
Lorie Konish | Oct 19
Bank of America Merrill Lynch has promoted Keith Glenfield to head of the firm’s Alternative Investments Group, as the firm seeks to expand its growth when it comes to hedge funds, private equity and other alternative investments.
Oct 18
Alternatives investment products have always been a critical piece to every institutional investors’ portfolio, but many advisors have been slow to join the fray. So, why is this market heating up now? Tom Florence of 361 Capital explains some trends and predictions for the industry.
Oct 17
In this episode of "What's the Alternative?" Jon Sundt explains liquid alternatives are and why having alternative assets with daily liquity is critical for every portfolio.
Gregg Wirth | Oct 17
Mutual fund companies are increasingly taking on the mindset of hedge funds, as they seek to offer clients access to alternative investments such as commodities or real estate and strategies like absolute return investing and combinations of going long on some stocks and selling others short.
Hung Tran | Oct 16
FISCO Funds Management LLC, a U.S.-based family of alternative investment managers, and OP 8 Analytics is teaming up to launch a new investment management company, CARF Management.
Hung Tran | Oct 11
Rising interest in hedge fund-like mutual funds among advisors and investors have driven service providers and fund managers alike to adjust their businesses to account for legal and tax ramifications of serving and operating alternative mutual funds.
Margarida Correia | Oct 10
More than one-third of the nation’s largest pension plans and institutional investors believe that traditional investing approaches will not be effective in 10 years.
Oct 10
BlackRock's Mike Bitterly discusses how bank advisors can help clients add non-correlated assets.
Oct 09
BlackRock's Mike Bitterly discusses how advisors are getting clients back into the market.
Oct 05
BlackRock's Mike Bitterly discusses the long-term and short-term concerns of advisors.
Oct 02
Alternative investing is surging, but many advisors (and investors) remain confused about the sector. In the first episode of "What's the Alternative?" Jon Sundt of Altegris breaks down convergent and divergent strategies.
Ann Marsh | Oct 01
Our annual Influencer Awards honor six individuals whose contributions are pushing the field to new heights.
Jim Grote | Oct 01
A planning firm emphasizes educating clients, especially women, and staying current with them.
Sep 13
Investors with at least $25 million in net worth are boosting their exposure to alternative investments. At the same time, these UHNW households are keeping some money in familiar territory: tax-free municipal bonds. The Spectrem Group, a Chicago-based consulting firm, reached those conclusions in recent online and mail surveys.
Ann Marsh | Sep 12
By the end of last year, assets under management in global alternative investments hit $6.5 trillion, having grown seven times faster than traditional asset classes over the previous five years. This is according to a new McKinsey & Company study that predicts this growth represents only the beginning of a new wave of assets moving into alternatives.
Sep 10
Preparation is the key to a successful audit. The following guidelines will help your firm smoothly navigate the regulatory audit process and manage any possible surprises.
Sep 10
Over the next 10 years, advisors will help their clients facilitate the largest wealth transfer in the history of our nation's history and charitable planning will become an increasingly larger and more important part of that service.
Mary Schroeder | Sep 06
As investing in alternatives such as real estate, private equity funds, hedge fund strategies and commodities grow in popularity, the way these are being used by institutions and investment advisors is changing.
Mason Braswell | Aug 29
Alternative investments should comprise as much as 20%, 30% or even 50% of a client's portfolio, according to an online panel of analysts and portfolio managers hosted by Envestnet.
Aug 28
Risk parity has become a popular allocation and risk management strategy in recent years. Do you know enough about it to provide guidance to your clients?
Donald Jay Korn | Aug 24
After peaking at over $1,900 an ounce in August 2011, gold prices are now down around 12% from that apex. However, investors' demand for gold bullion ETFs has not dulled.
Mary Schroeder | Aug 24
The inclusion of alternative ETFs in a portfolio provides a risk-adjusted benefit to investors, according to research from Lipper.
Mary Schroeder | Aug 22
Curian Capital has rolled out two alternative-focused strategies for separately managed accounts.
Tommy Fernandez | Aug 14
U.S. debt yields put you asleep. But you better be on your toes, with the adventure involved in emerging market bonds.
Hung Tran | Aug 09
Operating margins in the global asset management industry have recovered from their 2009 lows, at a median 32% in 2011, yet they remain below pre-crisis levels, according to new research by U.S. Institute, McLagan and Casey, Quirk & Associates.
Kylie Hennagin | Aug 07
Online asset management company Covestor has added alternative asset managers to its website.
Elizabeth Wine | Jul 30
In a review of the mutual fund and ETF market, Cerulli gave a few reasons for the value funds reaching these heights, but also cited a few caution signs for advisors to note.
Joe Richter | Jul 30
Hedge funds raised commodity bets in the longest bullish streak in three years as speculation that policy makers will increase economic stimulus drove prices toward the biggest monthly rally since October.
Hung Tran | Jul 30
Janus Capital Group Inc. this week reported second quarter net income of $23.4 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, compared with net income of $41.9 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the second quarter 2011.
Hung Tran | Jul 19
Asset managers predict alternative mutual funds to make up 9.7% of mutual fund assets in five years, and rise further to 15.8% of assets in 10 years, according to new research by Cerulli Associates.
Alexis Leondis | Jul 18
BlackRock Inc.’s Laurence D. Fink, who heads the world’s largest asset manager, said his firm needs to capture a larger share of the deposits that are going into U.S. equity exchange-traded funds.
Margarida Correia | Jul 11
Financial advisors plan to increase their use of alternative investments this year, according to Jackson National Life Insurance Co. One big challenge: they need to understand the asset class better.
Hung Tran | Jun 28
PIMCO is ramping up its alternative investment team with a trio of new hires from big-name hedge funds.
Kylie Hennagin | Jun 27
Wealth managers are making alternative investments more of a priority to meet the expectations of their clients and help grow total assets under management.
Margarida Correia | Jun 21
Unlike funds that target clean tech or alternative energy, the new ETF will focus on a broader universe of companies that have the goal of making money.
Hung Tran | Jun 21
Now alternative mutual funds will be rated in similar fashion to its more traditional counterparts.
Jun 12
Neuberger Berman Group this week launched the Neuberger Berman Absolute Return Multi-Manager Fund (NABAX), which bets on a slate of hedge fund managers.
Hung Tran | Jun 12
Mutual funds that invest in alternative types of securities, ranging from commodities to private equity investments, have been hot. But the heat appears to be cooling off.
Hung Tran | May 30
Morningstar released some sobering news about the alternative mutual fund space.
