Portfolio

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.

Investors pulled more than $125 billion from mutual funds that invest long-term in stocks last year, according to the latest data released by the Investment Company Institute. Of that, $5.2 billion got pulled in the week leading up to New Year's Eve.

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.

Did you have the foresight to invest heavily for your clients in Pacific Investment Management Co.'s 25-year zero-coupon U.S. Treasury exchange-traded bond fund, one year ago?

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.

Know what to pay attention to and what to ignore.

It took years for the great civil right activist’s final wishes to finally be honored, something that legacy expert attorneys Andy and Danielle Mayoras say could have been resolved much sooner had she done a better job – or had better advice and professional assistance – with her estate planning.