Portfolio

“Interest rates are having a large impact on overall annuity sales,” says Catherine Theroux, director of Public Relations at LIMRA. “For fixed annuities, people are less inclined to lock in rates at this level.”

FUSE Research is getting wise on Europe.

Financial advisors vary greatly in their approach and use of written investment policy statements with their clients, including some who don’t use these statements at all, according to Russell Investments’ latest quarterly survey of U.S. advisors.

Sentinel Investments has promoted three of its portfolio managers.

In 2012, banks sold $29.6 billion in annuities, down 20% from 2011. Fixed annuities fell 33% to $11.9 billion, while variable annuities slipped 10% to $17.7 billion.

Overriding client emotions and persuading them to do what they ought to do can be tricky. According to a new study, only 39% of advisors say they work with all clients to develop a written investment policy statement, which can guide clients' strategy in times of flux.

Regulators and academics are starting to look at low volatility as an integral part of the buildup toward financial meltdowns.

In the world of trust and estate administration, where tax planning typically involves special attention to federal tax law compliance, it’s easy to lose focus on state income taxation issues. And while some states do not tax income related to trusts, states that do tax trust income have a variety of rules and criteria for which trusts are subject to tax.

For the week ended March 13, investors steered a paltry $1.64 billion into bond funds, a whopping 74% drop from the $6.42 billion they poured into the funds a week earlier.

Advisors need to position themselves to help clients navigate the new tax landscape, particularly when it comes to juggling the variety of mutual funds in a client's portfolio.