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Gross Says Risk Assets Vulnerable With Economic Growth Slow

BlackRock and WisdomTree Investment Inc., the firm where former hedge-fund manager Michael Steinhardt is both non- executive chairman and the largest shareholder, will each open ETFs targeting the same hot spot in the market, and at first glance both come with the same price tag. The twist: BlackRock’s will be free for a year.

While some financial advisors can be intentionally vague when detailing embedded risks to clients, others do not fully understand the risks themselves, says the author of a new book that looks at the "incestuous" relationship between Wall Street, Washington and regulatory agencies.

Mass-affluent investors in their 40s with $100,000 to $500,000 in investable assets constitute an especially promising target group for bank advisors even with direct providers nipping at their heels.

After last month's Retirement Advisor Confidence Index suggested advisors were keeping allocations steady despite an increase in client risk tolerance, a Twitter user responded.

From talking about why advisors may be missing the boat on retirement plans to regulators zeroing in on elderly client protections, here are the most notable quotes from the past week's stories.

BlackRock and WisdomTree Investment Inc., the firm where former hedge-fund manager Michael Steinhardt is both non- executive chairman and the largest shareholder, will each open ETFs targeting the same hot spot in the market, and at first glance both come with the same price tag.

The Senate is poised to vote on a massive, five-year farm bill this week that includes several provisions important for community bankers and agricultural lenders.

There were a lot of deals last month involving larger community banks, and prices rose nearly 60% from a year earlier. The results will only feed more of those kinds of transactions.

UBS reported strong earnings for the fourth quarter, boosted by record profits from its wealth management divisions.