Practice

PALM DESERT, Calif.-At the start of 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission established a specialized unit within its Enforcement Division devoted to the looking for fraud and other perfidies in the $40 trillion field of asset management

Fund managers who think that only brokerage firms and banks should worry about the operational and technological changes being wrought by the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation had better think twice.

"You've come a long way, baby," was the memorable slogan of the Virginia Slims ad campaign that kicked off in 1968.

If you’ve tried all my tricks, and you still can't write that newsletter article or magazine column, here’s help.

Real financial planning requires a comprehensive focus on client needs, according to Kathy Stepp, principal and founder of Stepp & Rothwell, Inc. a financial advisory firm in Overland Park, Kan. To make that happen, Stepp says, her firm uses “very high ratio of us versus them.” In fact, she says, the firm has a staff-to-client ratio that is “probably unheard of in the industry.”

But only 34% have a dedicated budget.

Capitol Bancorp said its annual report that it was notified on March 30 that it would receive a subpoena from the SEC's Chicago office concerning its third-quarter reporting.

Dan Rebmann joined UBS in March after serving for almost 13 years at Merrill Lynch.

While healthcare costs are inevitably going to rise in the future, a 65-year-old couple retiring in 2011 will likely spend $230,000 on healthcare throughout their retirement, Fidelity estimates. This is an 8% decline from the $250,000 retiring couples in 2010 will need, due to recent changes in Medicare, Fidelity said.

The Lifetime Income Analysis Tool boosts 401(k) contribution rate from an average of 7% to 8.6%.