Investment insights

An increasing number of emerging markets players are paying dividends -- and seeing higher average returns than non-payers.

Clients who are considering taking student loans should compare the interest rates with their investment returns before making a decision; Plus, how Americans are missing out on $24 billion a year.

For pre-retirees who have not saved quite enough it's especially important to establish a plan to pay off credit card debt; Plus, proposals to improve workers' access to retirement plans first need a unified contribution limit.

Many potential clients don't understand how a good advisor can help them meet their financial goals. These key questions can lay a foundation for a relationship.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has revamped the rules on reverse mortgages to allow the servicer to foreclose the home mortgage if the account holder dies and the home is left to a non-borrowing spouse; Plus, five ways to talk to parents about their retirement income.

More pre-retirees intend to spend all their savings and leave nothing to their children than those who save as much as they can to pass on to the next generation; Plus, retirement saving rules that just don't add up.

The advantages of owning individual stocks; Plus, how donating appreciated shares in taxable accounts can produce savings for your client.

Commentary: There are certain areas of an asset allocation where there is real danger to blindly investing in passive investments.

Clients who want to roll over their spouses' IRA into their names can only do so if their spouses die and if they are properly named as beneficiaries; Plus, how to avoid running out of money in retirement.

For advisors whose clients want some of their assets in real property, the current rebound creates both opportunities and challenges. Want to understand these clients a little better? A recent survey took a deep look at investment real estate buyers and identified several characteristics that set them apart.

Openfolio has quickly grown into a community of more than 25,000 investors, all drawn to the idea of seeing what various members are investing in and comparing portfolios to measure how they are doing.

Default rates are far higher for corporates than for munis with the same ratings, a discrepancy regulators are hoping to address with a rule that takes effect June 15.

If managers who invest in their funds tend to outperform their peers, which ones are the best? Ranked by their respective funds' five-year performance, here are the top managers with $1 million of their own money invested in their funds.

A strong dollar and difficulties finding value have pushed advisors to look overseas.

Investors may consider leaving their 401(k) retirement plans if their employer doesn't match the contribution they make; Plus, five money-making ideas to boost clients' retirement funds.

Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. and John Hoeven, R-N.D., introduced legislation that would create Move America Bonds, which would generally be treated as exempt-facility, private-activity bonds but would have fewer restrictions and separate state volume caps that could be converted into tax credit allocations.

Hint: It isn't claiming at 62; Plus, four things to consider before retiring abroad.

More than half of global employers surveyed by Vanguard say they intend to boost company contributions to 401(k) plans in the next five years; Plus, almost half of American workers (45%) are not saving for retirement.

A plan to avoid capital gains taxes; Plus, seven valuable things your clients can learn from their tax return.

Workers aged 65 and above accounted for more than 16% of the labor force in 2010, up from 12% in 1990, according to the Census Bureau--and many of them have no plans to quit.