Donald Jay Korn

As the S&P 500 bounces around record levels, observers from Blackstone Group’s President Tony James to Yale Professor Robert Shiller find U.S. stocks overvalued, but the same isn’t true for foreign equities.

Emerging markets bonds are volatile so they aren’t for everyone. But three main factors behind the sector's outperformance over the past decade continue to push this asset class higher, advisors say.

Frontier markets exhibit the same signs of possible profitability that could be found a decade ago in emerging markets.

Besides the risks inherent in any equities, and those of gold price fluctuations, mining stocks may be subject to geopolitical threats as well. Is there any way to screen for such risks and focus on “safe” gold mining stocks?

Advisors who want to include single-country funds in clients' portfolios may have to choose between ETFs and closed-end mutual funds. While both versions trade like stocks, there are crucial differences to consider.

Is there any reason to include global stock funds in client portfolios? Why not just use domestic funds and foreign funds in their asset allocation?

Some regions of the world have outperformed others, but deciding how to allocate foreign equity dollars can be challenging.

Adding some guaranteed income to a portfolio drawdown strategy can provide longevity insurance, but there can be downsides to including annuities in a retirement plan.

Reverse mortgage rules have become more stringent but qualified borrowers can benefit from financial flexibility.

Naming a spouse as the IRA beneficiary is often the default choice and has several advantages. However, other concerns might outweigh the benefits of a spousal rollover.

Writing options to increase cash flow might benefit clients who understand both the downside and upside risks.

By using income tax bracket arbitrage, some clients’ families will do better if the tax is paid sooner rather than later.

The flexibility and broad selection of a regular investment account could outweigh the tax advantages of a 529 plan for funding higher education.

Maintaining adequate reserves of spending cash can ease retirees’ concerns about periodic volatility.

Stocks with significant yields can offer upside potential plus tax advantages at all ages and income levels.

Variable annuities held by clients might not need to be annuitized to deliver cash flow.

As more people work after they consider themselves retired, planning for retirement income becomes even more multi-faceted.

Beyond an increase in benefits, another compelling reason for clients to delay claiming Social Security benefits is the potential tax savings.

A Roth conversion that increases reported income might also decrease health insurance premium tax credit and thus bumping up the cost of the conversion.

Funds of hedge funds offer a practical way to include diversified opportunistic approaches in clients' portfolios.