Portfolio

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.

Thomson Reuters has launched a proprietary index designed to measure trust in global financial institutions called the Thomson Reuters TRrust Index (TRust Index).

Morningstar has rolled out the next generation of Morningstar® Retirement ManagerSM, an advice and managed account service for defined contribution participants in the United States.

Primerica is incorporating two additional annuity products from Lincoln Financial Group into its retirement lineup.

Vanguard is establishing an intermediary business in Hong Kong. Along with the new business unit, Vanguard also said the announcement of its first locally domiciled product offering in Hong Kong is imminent.

Two or three years ago, institutional investors primarily used ETFs for tactical purposes, holding them for less than one year. But now they are using them strategically as well, according to the 2013 Greenwich Associates study of trends in institutional usage of ETFs, which was sponsored by iShares.

The T. Rowe Price New Era Fund is getting a new manager. Timothy Parker, the fund’s current manager will leave to pursue other opportunities, the firm’s spokeswoman told Money Management Executive.

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.

Before you begin reaching out to a potential client, know the rules of their home country.

The financial services industry needs a major makeover, Sallie Krawcheck said at an industry conference Friday.