Investment insights

Investor confidence remained weak in November, with an unchanged Global Investor Index reading of 81.2, according to the State Street Investor Confidence Index released Tuesday.

Bond investors holding significant amounts of U.S. treasuries and other high-quality credit should consider diversifying to less interest-rate-sensitive securities.

Whether it's capital surcharges for fund companies designated as "systemically important" or dealing with new fiduciary rules for advisors and brokers or the much-feared reform of money funds, the bill is about to come due-and get paid.

Debt casts a big shadow in the minds of most Wall Street thinkers’ as they make their 2013 forecasts, and Jim Swanson of MFS Investments warns investors not to take the complacent view of “well, we’re a lot better off than Greece and Italy.”

Andy Brooks is concerned about what he sees as inequities in stock markets. And as head of U.S. equity trading at T. Rowe Price Associates in Baltimore, he's doing something about it.

Risk tolerance in the younger U.S. mutual fund investor set has returned to the level seen before the financial crisis of 2008, according to research from the Investment Company Institute.

USAA Asset Management is so committed to bringing its equity fund business in-house that it is bidding adieu to two subadvisors.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Tuesday said the Fed cannot single-handedly neutralize the impact of the so-called fiscal cliff that the economy may tumble over come January 1.

BMO Harris Private Banking is sticking to its cautiously optimistic 12-month outlook despite economic turmoil in Europe and anxiety over the much-discussed fiscal cliff.

Koesterich will be responsible for communicating the firm’s strategy and market outlook to investors and financial advisers, New York-based BlackRock said today in a statement. Koesterich will report to Ken Kroner, global head of the firm’s multi-asset strategies group.

There are a host of reasons why emerging market debt has been looking sweeter to investors.

The post-election rout in U.S. stocks has driven the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index down so far that it would have to advance 26 percent to reach the valuation of bull markets since John F. Kennedy was in the White House.

“After years of recommending tax deferral, I’m suggesting accelerating tax payments,” Dean Mioli, director of investment planning for the SEI Advisor Network, told Financial Planning. “I’m not advocating this for every taxpayer, but it can make sense in some cases.”

Many tax practitioners focus on improving their efficiency during tax season, but there are plenty of things they can do in advance to ensure success from January to April, according to 2020 Group chairman and CEO Chris Frederiksen.

Treasuries fell, following a four- week gain, after President Barack Obama said he was confident the U.S. will avoid the automatic spending cuts and tax increases scheduled to occur at year-end.

Almost immediately after the election, the national conversation turned to what is widely seen as an impending financial crisis known as the fiscal cliff. A dramatic term, for sure, but what does it mean for the economy, investment advisors and their clients?

President Obama met with congressional leaders at the White House on Friday to negotiate over the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and the looming problem of the so-called “fiscal cliff,” with the leaders agreeing that the meeting had been constructive.

Greenspan said, "If we get out of this with a moderate recession, I would say that the price is very cheap."

Despite negative market sentiment due to concerns over the looming Fiscal Cliff, many investors are unprepared for it, according to a recent survey by Nationwide Financial.

McNabb said that his firm has been lowering the cost on its products for more than 35 years and the fact that the firm exists “puts pressure on other providers to do likewise”.