Practice management

If your logo is more than a dozen years old, chances are it's time for a makeover. Tired, dated materials won't reassure prospective clients that you're progressive and will constantly update the knowledge and services you offer. Your branding essentials may not need a complete overhaul, just a simple facelift.

Partnering with local libraries to bring financial education to interested people in her area has been a successful route to prospective clients for Darla Main, of Main Advisory, inc. in McMurray, Penn.

Long-only institutional traders are widely worried about the impact of high-frequency trading programs on the shape of equities markets, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Liquidnet, operator of a venue for trading anonymously in large blocks of shares.

The latest incarnation of TD Bank's buildup of a broad social media program for North America -- the embedding of Twitter staff within the contact center -- is only a few months old, but the bank has already discovered the formula to win an impressive spike in the use of social media to resolve customer queries.

Investment advisors could eventually have a national self-regulatory organization akin to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority soon, if draft legislation introduced by an Alabama Congressman becomes law. But it will not come without a fight.

SS&C Technologies Holdings has completed its acquisition of BDO Simpson Xavier Fund Administration Services Limited, in Dublin, Ireland.

The Securities and Exchange Commission this week said it’s in the early stages of a major examination into the operations of hedge fund companies and investment banks that engage in high-frequency trading.

At a time when jobs are hard to find and raises are paltry, employers are looking to their 401(k) plans to better serve their workers. And, according to Charles Schwab, many employers are adding plan features to drive participation and savings.

Fidelity Investments’ RIA custodian business has announced a new tool, Technology Investment Evaluator, to help advisors run their businesses more efficiently.

The dotcom crash and the Great Recession have taken a serious and lasting toll on the risk appetites of Generation Y, according to the latest MFS Investing Sentiment Survey. This generation, between the ages of 18 and 30, are “investing more like their parents and grandparents, many of whom grew up in the shadows of the Great Depression,” said William Finnegan, senior managing director of U.S. retail marketing for MFS.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said it will seek public comment on a plan to conduct retrospective reviews of its existing regulations.

Fidessa said on Tuesday that Ruffer LLP, a London-based investment management company, has gone live with its Buy-side Workstation to execute trades in global markets through 50 broker-dealers.

Many financial advisors look for opportunities to win the 401(k) business of local employers because it both provides them with some immediate revenue and, more important, steers cross-selling business their way as employees get to know them and turn to them for financial advice -- especially as they retire and bring them their rolled-over assets to invest.

Real-time risk management is the holy grail for many financial institutions. The reality: the majority of banks cannot calculate the true risk of new deals to their business intraday because they continue to rely on stale inaccurate data.

As a financial advisor, you are always looking for ways to add value and bond with your clients. One of the most unique and innovative ways I've found for doing just that also drive referrals years into the future and provide a wealth of insight about their individual goals and values is a legacy profile.

Left Coast Solutions has developed iJoin, an application for Smartphones and other mobile devices that helps investors determine how much they need to save for retirement to replace their monthly income.

401(k) investors and sponsors are likely to stand up and take notice of the fees that will be clearly presented to them in April, particularly the fact that investors pay most of the administration fees. These administration fees, or expense ratios, cover not just fund management but also recordkeeping, auditing and broker commissions.

Even though the stock market has been extraordinarily volatile over the past month, most investors are not changing their allocations to stocks and bonds, according to the RBC Consumer Outlook Index.

Although Federal Reserve Board officials promised to unveil a long-awaited package of key Dodd-Frank rules by the end of the summer, the central bank is likely to need more time to complete them.

They may long to give up their daily commutes and have wide-open schedules, but far too many baby boomers are largely unprepared to leave their jobs, according to a new report by the Insured Retirement Institute.