Investment products

Lincoln National topped $10 billion in individual variable annuity sales in the nine months ended Sept. 30, the most in at least six years, as rivals retreated from the contracts.

Investor demand improved, despite the continuation of outflows from municipal bond mutual funds for a 23rd consecutive week, at $503 million for the week of Oct. 30.

Some advisors worry that the new rules could inspire an irrational enthusiasm.

Can a different investment model create greater portfolio diversification than the traditional 60/40 asset allocation model?

The real estate market may have had its ups and downs in recent years, but REITs are holding their value and merit a place in client portfolios.

Gold is down from it's high of around $1890 in 2011, but some investors are still inquiring about including gold and other precious metals in their portfolios.

With the launch of a new Institute for Sustainable Investing, the firm is looking to add $10 billion in client assets to its socially responsible investing platform.

Eight leading managers of money-market mutual funds urged the SEC to alter the way it defines retail funds in proposed new rules for the industry.

After a September drop, a flurry of year-end activity helps buoy confidence.

Rebalancing is simple, but not easy to do. With automated rebalanicing, little or no action is required to achieve even more consistent investment allocation.

The smallest stocks are rallying almost twice as fast as bigger companies in the U.S., a bullish economic signal from businesses whose profits are most dependent on domestic demand.

Nearly all advisors include international equities in portfolio construction so why would we exclude the even larger asset class of international bonds?

Clients’ desire for principal protection plus profit potential has benchmark-based products booming.

The firm’s advantage over its Wall Street peers is fading in the eyes of credit- derivatives traders as fines and regulator probes hobble profits while firms from Citigroup Inc. to Morgan Stanley rebound.

As retail funds for alternative investments become more widespread, planners must explain their purpose in a portfolio.

MLPs offer high yields plus tax advantages, but advisors need to drill down to deliver those tax breaks without the headaches.

Muni bonds have substantial risk but here’s how you may be able to get a greater return and U.S. government guarantee.

A bond ladder can mitigate interest rate risk, but individual bonds require in-depth research. The diversification of a fund tempers credit risk, but be wary of extended duration.

Rolling redemptions offer reinvestment opportunities in longer-term, presumably higher-yielding bonds.

There are many ways to tilt portfolios toward small cap and value. Here are three alternatives for portfolio construction.