Wealth management

The newly created firm’s target net-worth range is broad enough to allow Angeles Wealth Management to allocate clients’ money in a wide range of asset classes.

Independent broker-dealer and RIA Lincoln Investment Planning has agreed to buy broker-dealer and RIA Capital Analysts from Western & Southern Financial Group, the firms announced. The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, is expected to close in the second quarter of this year.

J.P. Morgan had a product up its sleeve for its broker-dealers on Aug. 4. That was the date it put the servicing of more than one million accounts onto a new broker-dealer platform, known as Morgan Communications or MORCOM. The online system was to serve both retail and institutional brokers.

Sequentially, however, revenue in the Americas was down 5 percent. In the fourth quarter, the unit reported a pre-tax profit of $125 million. In the third quarter, the profit was $165 million.

John Goodman's lawyer states that the adoption was done to protect Goodman's children, not to shield assets from the family of the slain driver who is suing him. While Goodman, of Palm Beach, has been bashed across the country for his legal maneuver, it actually makes sense from a probate law perspective.

The largest information industry transaction by private equity players was the purchase of GoDaddy. Com for $2.25 billion, according to investment bankers Berkery Noyes. Here's what was hot.

U.S. Bank acquired the units of Union Bank’s institutional trust business that focus on retirement plans, labor management trusts, and registered investment advisors,

As part of the arrangement, Adams Hall will retain its name and gradually integrate its operations and systems into Mariner’s over time.

Just over three-quarters—76%—of advisors who have recently shifted to an independent business model say they're better off financially, according to a new study by Fidelity Investments. And 64% of those who say they're better off were better off within six months of their move, according to the study.

Not all trusts are created equal, especially when it comes to protection in a divorce.

With trust harder to come by, advisors should lean on personalized services and product fluency.

They call it the “January Effect.” Whether it’s the by-product of those Wall Street guys reinvesting their year-end bonuses or individual investors jumping back into the market after selling for year-end tax reasons, the Dow Jones Industrial Average historically gets a nice little (and sometimes huge) bump during the first month of the year. This January was no exception. The Dow rallied up 415.35 points, or 3.4%, in January – the best January percentage gain since 1997. But for some stocks, the year didn’t get off to a very auspicious start. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of time left this year to rebound. Here’s an interactive slide show highlighting the 5 worst-performing Dow component stocks for January 2012:

They call it the “January Effect.” Whether it’s the by-product of those Wall Street guys reinvesting their legendary year-end bonuses or individual investors jumping back into the market after selling for year-end tax reasons, the Dow Jones Industrial Average historically gets a nice little (and sometimes huge) bump during the first month of the year. This January was no exception. The Dow rallied up 415.35 points, or 3.4%, this January – the best January percentage gain since 1997. Here’s an interactive slide show highlighting the 5 best-performing Dow component stocks for January 2012:

Fidelity Charitable, operator of the nation’s largest donor-advised fund program, said its donors set records in 2011 both in the amount of money contributed to the fund and in the amount that was taken out of the fund and granted to charities.

Legacy expert attorneys Andy and Danielle Mayoras say most of music diva Whitney Houston’s purported financial woes could have been averted had she and her family sought out and received professional financial and estate planning advice before things turned sour.

The assets of the nation’s mutual funds were flat in December, gaining $12.3 billion.

University of Chicago Professor Emeritus Marvin Zonis points out that several nations representing more than half of the world's GDP by purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita could see a change atop their governments this year. This potentially massive shift in geo-political leadership will almost certainly impact economies, investments and investors around the globe. Here’s an interactive slide show featuring 10 countries and elections that Wall Street needs to be paying attention to this year: Source: World Bank/Professor Emeritus Marvin Zonis, University of Chicago

Direxion Funds said it is is making modifications to its line of “buy and hold” alternative strategies, effective February 1, 2012.

Michael Hamm has left a position as vice president at Cambridge Investment Research in Fairfield, Iowa, to become a senior vice president at The Legend Group in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Alex Murguia, managing principal of McLean Asset Management and CEO and founder of inStream Solutions, believes advisors should be aware of major changes underway in the planning profession—and should take proactive steps to safeguard their practices. Financial Planning talked to Murguia about his views on the outlook for RIA businesses.