Investment funds

Clients should consider paying more deductible expenses before year-end if their total itemizable deductions will be close to their standard deduction amount.

“The combination of low rates, curbs on state and local tax deductions, and consistent economic expansion have been a nice tailwind,” an analyst says.

Fee compression and commoditization of investment products over the past decade are threatening already slim margins in asset management.

Since this March, almost 100 firms have settled with the regulator for approximately $173 million. Other cases are still pending.

More than 70% of U.S. ETF assets are in funds that charge 2 basis points or less, data show. But free isn’t an automatic ticket to success.

Paying down debt, downsizing and reducing spending are a few ways retirees can grow their finances.

To build their wealth, retirement savers are advised to take advantage of tax-advantaged plans including 401(k)s and IRAs.

At more than twice the price of the average fund, many with the even biggest gains still underperformed the broader market over the last decade.

Someone with a long-term investing horizon is generally not helped by bailing out of a well-diversified, multi-asset portfolio. Here are some options for them, and some talking points for you.

Among funds impacted so far, the Invesco China Technology ETF fell 2.8%, while the KraneShares CSI China Internet Fund lost 3.8%.