Investment insights

The range of efficiency tends to be similar within sets of U.S. stock and bond funds. Should advisors care?

Top earners understand that annuities unburden them of some investment risks and give their assets a layer of legal safety from creditors and frivolous lawsuits; Plus, how to assess lump-sum payments of future benefits.

Here’s a primer on long-short funds, managed futures funds and managed payout funds.

Falling interest rates and the increase in the number of people retiring are two big risks facing the Social Security system; Plus, why 401(k) participants should forgo a higher allocation to their employer stock.

Long-term care expenses rise throughout retirement to the point of crisis, according to one expert; Plus, how do your clients stack up in retirement savings?

I don't want to be a distraction, I don't want to be irrelevant -- and I don't want to be wrong. Perhaps you shouldn't be making predictions either?

A tax-efficient strategy to best index funds; Plus, six reasons why investing in a taxable account is underrated, and how to capitalize on capital gains tax rules.

Clients who turned 70 1/2 last year need to take their first required minimum distribution by April 1 or face a tax of 50%; Plus, reducing fees is the best way to boost investment returns.

See the returns, expense ratios and other data for the available domestic dividend growth ETFs -- including three new ETFs based on new indexes from Morningstar, Russell, and S&P Dow Jones.

The Federal Reserve opened the door to an interest rate increase as soon as June, while also indicating it will pursue a slower upward path once it achieves liftoff.

More workers than ever are staying on the job well into their seventies, which will make the U.S. a "very different place" for the next 30 years; Plus, Why an empty nest can be hazardous to a client's retirement.

BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard Group and State Street collectively control 82% of the roughly $2 trillion invested in ETFs -- but other funds are gaining market share. Here's a ranking of the fastest-growing funds.

Are you likely to change your job? Is your spouse unemployed? Do you expect non-taxable income when you retire? These reasons and more for why you might need an individual retirement account.

How advisors can use 1099s to help address investment reporting issues that clients may have overlooked.

More than half posted gains that exceeded benchmark indexes in 2015 through March 6, for their best start to a year since 2012. But the S&P 500, up 1.1% this year through Monday, is poised for its worst first quarter since 2009.

Help make sure your clients aren't among those who say they wish they had saved more, or started at an earlier age. Plus, questions over the proposed revamp of Medicare payments to long-term-care hospitals.

Big names in the bond industry have lent their names to actively-managed ETFs, betting their reputations will translate into investor interest. But active management's recent record against index funds makes it a tough sell for some.

The total amount of outstanding municipal securities and loans in the market rose 0.6% to $3.65 trillion in the fourth quarter of last year, as U.S. bank muni holdings increased 2.5% and mutual fund muni holdings rose to a record high $658 billion.

Even after defaults, high-yield bonds have earned above-market returns.

How taxes should affect an investor’s asset allocation; Plus, how changes to IRA and 401(k) plan rules can help clients to save on taxes.