Portfolio

An increasing number of advisor teams are transitioning to the fully independent registered investment advisor model from independent broker dealers, according to a Charles Schwab Advisor Services survey, which found a 45% increase in 2010 compared to 2009.

The State Street Investor Confidence Index, while remaining below neutral territory of 100, rose 6.5 points in March to 98.3. In March 2010, however, it stood at 107.4.

ProShares has launched the ProShares Short Investment Grade Corporate exchange-traded fund, the first inverse investment grade corporate bond exchange-traded fund, which seeks to provide 1x the daily performance of the Markit iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index.

PALM DESERT, Calif. -- Registered investment companies vote in favor of management proposals more than 90 percent of the time, according to a study of 3.9 million proxy ballot items.

Investors are looking to invest internationally in 2011 and beyond, a sign that positive sentiment in emerging markets is growing, according to a survey released on Tuesday by Franklin Templeton.The survey of 13,076 respondents in 12 countries found that 62% of U.S. and global respondents plan to invest in international markets, including Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and India, over the next 10 years. Yet just 34% of respondents are currently investing outside of their own markets. At the same time only 33% believe their own country's market will perform better than the rest of the world in 2011, said Franklin Templeton, which shows a willingness to consider opportunities globally.

Zachary Gronich, founder and chief executive of RIA in a Box, has seen his consulting company quickly grow bigger than he expected.

PALM DESERT, Calif. -- Baillie Gifford is an independent investment management firm based in Edinburgh, Scotland. At the end of 2010, it managed more than $113 billion in bond and stock portfolios.

SEC and CFTC rulemaking will define “the workload for the coming year,’’ said Karrie McMillan, general counsel of the Investment Company Institute as its mutual funds conference opened Monday in California. But where that work will end up cannot yet be determined.

The selling of investments to individual investors and their purchases of them are mired in dysfunction, according to the former director of conduct risk and sector leader for asset management of the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom.

The financial turbulence of the last several years has left many professional athletes subject to losses from real estate, unprofitable business ventures and fraud schemes. From Hall of Famers to Super Bowl champions, here’s a look at ten current and former professional athletes and how they were personally affected by the financial turmoil of the past five years.