Donald Jay Korn

Investing in a fund holding mining stocks is not the same as investing in a bullion fund. Advisors should know which mining companies are included in precious metals funds, and where they operate.

In these low-yield times, dividend-paying stocks have obvious appeal. Payouts may be as high or higher than bond yields, investors have growth potential, and the tax treatment can be favorable. Given these advantages, why not go one step further and look for dividend-paying foreign stocks?

Is emerging market debt still an attractive asset class, or is a correction likely to squeeze investors?

Mass affluent investors are beginning to regain confidence following the economic downturn, according to the Spring 2013 Merrill Edge Report.

Most IRA owners limit withdrawals to required minimum distributions, according to a new report from the Employee Research Benefit Institute. Nevertheless, a substantial number of higher-income retirees take withdrawals before age 70-1/2 and those non-required distributions may be relatively large, in relation to their IRA balances.

Considering the recent success of several regional and single-country categories, is there a case for holding such high-potential funds in clients’ portfolios?

Immediate annuities, also known as income annuities and payout annuities, can replace disappearing corporate pensions, but sales have been tepid. Insurers have responded with some significant bells and whistles.

Among pre-retirees who worked with advisors, 73% said that did not expect to carry debt into retirement.

Fidelity reported a 53% increase in health savings accounts opened in 2012, raising the number of individual accounts administered by the company to 182,000.

Why do investors need foreign stocks or funds? Why not just buy U.S. companies that do a great deal or even most of their business overseas? A number of factors make international companies and funds attractive.

A difference of 1% in fees could reduce an investor’s balance at retirement by as much as 28%, according to the Department of Labor.

For years, Lincoln Financial has effectively been raising prices on its variable annuities, yet consumers keep buying. The company’s VA business exceeds desired levels now, so further price increases have been announced: cutbacks in benefits offered to consumers. The expected result is a boost in second-quarter business but a slowdown in the second half of 2013.

Since 2009, the number of companies that match 401(k) contributions has decreased by almost 7%.

In a low-yield environment, payouts of 4% to 6% have many investors thinking about increasing their exposure to real estate.

In 2011, 44% of brokers who left wirehouses landed at independent firms, but every broker has an array of options when it comes to independence.

Years after the peak of the financial crisis, mass affluent investors remain pessimistic about their finances.

Most Boomers lack confidence in their retirement readiness, and the unease is growing.

Outsourcing in wealth management has been gaining continued momentum according to a Celent study.

Employee borrowing from 401(k) plans increased 28% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, according to Wells Fargo as over 60% of new loans went to individuals heir 50s and 60s.

While some of the asset increase resulted from appreciation since the 2008 financial crisis, other factors contributed to this growth.