Practice

Plan sponsors are increasingly turning to outsourced or discretionary investment solutions for their funds post the global financial crisis, according to Tim Barron, chief investment officer for consulting firm Segal Rogerscasey.

Don’t wait for journalists to come to you -- use social media to go to them.

“The primary reason for the drop-off in fines was because there were no auction rate securities cases in 2012,” said Brian Rubin, partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

Charles Schwab is deepening its dedication to technology with a new agreement with DST Output.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday said regulators would take additional steps to eliminate the problem of "too big to fail" if current efforts fall short.