Portfolio

Before putting a bow on 2011, advisors and their clients should take the time to nail down these four key aspects of their finances to ensure financial planning success in 2012, according to M&I, a part of the BMO Financial Group. Everyone wants to save money and prepare themselves and their families for the future. But that can only happen if clients establish well-defined goals and take the necessary steps to put advisors’ strategic advice to work. Here are the Top 4 end-of-year financial planning tasks every client needs to complete:

The new Department of Labor 401(k) fee disclosure rules that go into effect on April 1 will radically shake up the industry, according to Tom Gonnella, senior vice president of corporate development at Lincoln Trust, who gave six predictions for the defined contribution industry in 2102.

NEW YORK—The United States will not fall back into another recession, Benjamin Pace, U.S. chief investment officer, Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management, told a press briefing Tuesday.

NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Börse stepped up their proposal to divest assets in their derivatives businesses, in their effort to win clearance from European regulators for their merger.

U.S. stocks fell Monday after Moody's Investors Service said last week's European fiscal pact will not deter it from reconsidering the credit ratings of all European Union nations.

“For stocks, it is hardly likely to be smooth sailing from here, but conditions have certainly improved since the wild market swings that we saw over the summer.” – Bob Doll, Chief Equity Strategist for Fundamental Equities, BlackRock, blackrock.com

Shaken by high unemployment, market volatility and ongoing concerns about a recurring worldwide recession, U.S. investors have entrusted only a projected $80 billion to stock and bond funds in 2011.

In nearly 90% of high-net-worth households, women are either the sole decision maker or equal partners in decisions on charitable giving, according to a Bank of America Merrill Lynch survey in conjunction with The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Morningstar is drilling down deeper than ever before when it looks at fixed-income funds, the investment research firm said, announcing the launch of a new fixed-income classification system.

Predictions are easiest to assess, when a year is over.