Donald Jay Korn

Insiders’ knowledge of a company’s advertising expenditures is a strong information advantage when it comes to trading.

Among the many provisions of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, Coverdell education savings account tax benefits were made permanent. Thus, ESAs have caught up with 529 plans, which were awarded permanent tax preferences in the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Does this mean ESAs can play a vital in clients’ education planning?

Participants in 401(k) plans are making better decisions, according to a new report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Improved plan “wellness” was especially evident in the fourth quarter of last year, a period that not-so-coincidentally also is the health care open enrollment period for most employees.

Eight mutual fund companies have been named Best In Group, winning the 2013 Lipper Fund Awards for the U.S., with TIAA-CREF and Delaware Management Company collecting the top group awards.

After hiring 3,597 full-time agents last year, New York Life is raising the ante, with a goal of adding 3,700 reps in 2013. Among the new hires, more than half are expected to be women or individuals who represent the “cultural markets,” as the company put it, referring specifically to the African-American, Chinese, Hispanic, Korean, South Asian, and Vietnamese communities.

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.

Assets held in 529 college savings plans increased 16.7% last year as the largest state plans continued to attract the bulk of assets.

Among the provisions of the new tax law is the introduction of in-plan Roth conversions for participants of employer-sponsored retirement plans. This provision may be especially valuable to high-income clients, according to Thomson Reuters.

Investors who trade frequently are upbeat about recent results, and that enthusiasm may translate into opportunities for advisors.

Gone are the glorious higher-yielding days of 2011.

All financial advisory referrals come from just 28% of your clients, according to a survey. But what type of clients are sending you new business?

Low-volatility stocks are in demand, as evidenced by the popularity of low-volatility ETFs and the ongoing expansion of available choices.

One RIA has found an attractive niche: Americans working in the Middle East. The foreign focus has helped him accumulate $470 million in assets, but it is not without its hurdles.

“Investors can find their account balances anywhere,” said Kevin Crowe, head of solutions for SEI Advisor Network. “We found they want their advisors’ technology to help identify clients’ goals, create plans, and show what progress is being made towards meeting those goals.”

Clients who hold valuable land may receive generous tax breaks in return for a conservation easement, but the IRS has made an effort to keep the tax breaks from becoming too generous.

The good news: ultra-wealthy individuals tend to put their trust in wealth managers. The bad news: most, still cautious after the Financial Crisis, tend to prefer using multiple advisors.

Advisors expect revenue growth this year, according to an SEI poll, and 53% expect increases of more than 15%. However, only 15% said they have a growth plan that they follow and monitor.

A challenging landscape is ahead for money managers as margins continue to shrink, but firms that can innovate will have substantial success.

The financial advisory industry could reach $850 billion in investable assets annually for the next decade, according to Pershing, but to be part of that growth, advisors need to follow four critical guidelines.

Increased automation will provide advisors with more time to spend on client relationships, planning, and prospecting.