Portfolio

Cetera Financial Group has agreed to buy Genworth Financial Investment Services, an independent broker-dealer with almost 2,000 independent advisors specializing in integrating wealth management services with tax and accounting services.

Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ research unit said it has developed a method of forecasting negative and positive earnings surprises of a magnitude of 5% or larger.

Among the 27.2% of IMCA members who are independent, 14.2% are RIAs, 7.7% are dually registered and almost 85% of IMCA advisors and consultant provide fee-only or fee-based advice.

Morningstar is no longer just looking backwards – focusing on three-, five- and 10-year returns. The fund ratings giant is now looking ahead to the future, as well.

FINRA has asked the SEC to allow it to assess its muni members quarterly fees based on the par value of their reported transactions to help fund the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, despite protests from issuers and dealers.

When it comes to bond funds — or any mutual funds — past performance is not the best way to analyze them. Instead, S&P Capital IQ analyst Todd Rosenbluth suggests investors should consider the credit risk of the underlying bonds, as well as a fund’s duration.

2011 may be remembered for its Walls Street thrills and spills, but the merger and acquisition deals made a huge mark on Main Street and the RIA business. Here are 10 unions that reshaped the RIA landscape.

2011 may be remembered for its Walls Street thrills and spills, but the merger and acquisition deals made a huge mark on Main Street and the RIA business. National aggregator and private equity firms accounted for a vast majority of the top deals. Here’s a look at 10 of the most significant deals in the RIA sector in the past year.

Morningstar is no longer just looking backwards -- focusing on three-, five- and 10-year returns. The fund ratings giant is now looking ahead to the future, as well.

Know what to pay attention to and what to ignore.