Subject Root Tag

So what does a quartet of space ships beaming up a cow and an exploding airbag have to do with investment management?

It would be impossible to plan for the succession of your practice in one day, but that doesn’t mean we’ll ignore it in our daily tips. After all, you have to start somewhere.

As regulators continue their work implementing the numerous provisions of the Dodd-Frank financial reform act, a leading Wall Street trade group is hoping that 2013 will see movement on the controversial effort to implement a uniform fiduciary duty for investment advisors and broker-dealers when providing personalized advice to retail clients.

As your practice expands, you inevitably take on new roles and responsibilities. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any growing pains.

Look out for a switch in sub-advisers for one Touchstone Investments fund.

Morningstar has launched the Morningstar US Real Asset Index, a diversified portfolio of liquid assets that traditionally provide a hedge against inflation, including Treasury inflation-protected securities, real estate investment trusts, and commodity stocks and futures.

U.S. Bancorp’s wealth management and securities services business contributed $41 million to the bank’s bottom line in the fourth quarter of 2012, down $2 million, or 4.7%, from the previous quarter, but unchanged from the same quarter a year earlier.

Two firms are touting the launch of a new high income fund.

BlackRock Inc., the world’s biggest money manager, said fourth-quarter earnings increased 24 percent as its exchange-traded funds drew client deposits and assets rose.

Bank of America Corp. led decliners in the Dow Jones Industrial Average after reporting profit dropped 63 percent, hurt by shrinking revenue and more costs from cleaning up bad mortgages.

Nasdaq OMX Group said it hired Bradley J. Peterson as its global chief information officer.

When people hear “financial planning” or “retirement income,” they tune out. Try using “lifestyle design” instead to get their attention.

After four consecutive weeks of negative flows, mutual funds finally enjoyed a week of stellar sales.

“This is the first significant change to our grid during my almost 20 year tenure at Raymond James,” Tash Elwyn, president of the firm’s Private Client Group, said. “With this new grid we have achieved our goal of continuing to offer a very competitive payout within an environment and culture at Raymond James that’s unique in that we treat our advisors with respect.”

The Internal Revenue Service is providing information on some of the retirement plan provisions of the fiscal cliff deal that was signed into law earlier this month.

DoubleLine Capital has unveiled its latest equity funds just a few weeks after hiring away two portfolio managers from TCW Group.

A Securities and Exchange Commission member said Wednesday that many improvements to the municipal securities market can be made by the SEC without seeking regulatory authority over municipal issuers from Congress.

Cost control will sharpen further in 2013, given continued pressure from low interest rates and loan competition, U.S. Bancorp says. Other banks will face similar challenges.

Thomas Lee, the creator of the GIVE Strategy, explains how you can use the new tax deal to grow your practice.

Who wins when advisors leave wirehouses? Just about everyone.