1. Municipal Bond Indexes Weaken To Their Lowest Points In Recent Weeks
(Matching tags: investing,municipal bonds,Treasury bonds)

Investors abandoned the municipal bond market mid-May after yields fell to near record lows on short to intermediate term bonds. The weekly average yield to maturity on the Bond Buyer muni bond index ...

2. Equity Funds Are Still The Losers In Mutual Fund Flows
(Matching tags: mutual funds,investing,US investing)

The Investment Company Institute (ICI) says that investors are even less in love with equities last week than they were the week before. New data shows that investors pulled another $2.41 billion the ...

3. The Facebook IPO Is More Than A Social Media Investment: It Can Help You Build Your Business And Enhance Client Relationships
(Matching tags: investing,client education,marketing)

... to get your hands on any shares. But there are two ways to play it: through investing and through investment education. Either way gets you “in.”  ...

4. As Client Needs Change, Standard Allocation Models May Not Keep Up
(Matching tags: asset allocation,investing)

As many as 40% of advisors participating in a recent survey no longer believe the basic 60/40 portfolio allocation is effective in balancing returns with investment risk. Many pointed out a need for ...

5. Consumer Spending Is Stronger Than Weak April Retail Sales Reflect
(Matching tags: economy,investing,economic indicators)

One of the most encouraging signs that the economy is recovering has been the increase in consumer spending. Retail sales improved through the year—until April. Retail sales were up .7% in March ...

6. Are "Alternatives, Emerging Markets, And Frontier" The New "Stocks, Bonds, And Cash?"
(Matching tags: investing,alternative investments,emerging markets)

The past five years have seen the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), a measure of volatility in the S&P 500, spike to levels of 80.86 (November 20, 2008) and 48 (August 8, 2011) from levels of between 15 ...

7. Health Care Planning Is Quickly Becoming A Focal Point For Investment Strategies
(Matching tags: health care,investing,financial planning,healthcare)

There’s an issue about which your clients may be thinking and not disclosing when you meet. That’s the issue of healthcare. A recent survey by National Financial showed that fully half of imminent ...

8. Case Study: Using Generational And Behavioral Biases To Translate Personal Goals Into A Financial Language, Part I
(Matching tags: investment strategies,investing,asset allocation,investor behavior)

Why do we need behavioral finance? Because traditional models based on institutional clients’ needs do not account for the tax liability, multiple goals, life stages, and unexpected events invariably ...

9. Now Is The Time For Picking Up Housing Bargains Especially For Investment
(Matching tags: investing,real estate)

The housing market looks like it may be putting in a bottom. That means that now is the time to buy. Prices will only go up from here. So will mortgage rates. Some anticipate the recovery will happen ...

10. Changes In States' 529 Plans May Affect Clients' Education Planning Strategies
(Matching tags: 529,investing,education planning)

New changes are afoot in state sponsored 529 college savings plans. New plan managers and new investment choices are designed to offer participants lower fees and better performance. Market volatility ...

11. Defining Risk Through Purpose Will Change The Way You Serve Clients And Enhance The Investment Strategies You Recommend
(Matching tags: Advisor businesses,investing,client education)

A perfect triangle of transitions is going on. We have the largest wealth transfer in history; increasing business succession and transition to new leadership; and a radical transition in the way you do ...

12. Markets Head Downward For A Sixth Straight Day In The US; Europe Extends Its Streak To Eight
(Matching tags: economy,investing,European crisis,US investing)

The news on the global economy seems to only get worse and the equities markets are reflecting it. The Dow Jones at time of this writing is experiencing its sixth straight down session. If it continues ...

13. Dire Predictions For Municipalities Are Striking Fear In The Hearts Of Investors
(Matching tags: investing for income,municipal bonds,Tax-efficient investing,investing)

All it takes is one prominent analyst making dire predictions and clients zoom in to justify their prediction. This seems to be what’s happened in the municipal bond market. Focusing on the negative ...

14. Art Is Coming Into Its Own As An Asset Class And May Be Part Of An Appropriate Investment Strategy For Some Of Your Clients
(Matching tags: art collecting,investing,alternative investments)

You may not have thought about art as an asset class before or as a viable investment for your clients. But the last few years have seen art emerge as a more serious contender for asset class status.  ...

15. Currency Trading Expands Beyond US Dollar And The Euro
(Matching tags: currency,investing,euro,dollar)

More investors are trading currencies—unusual matches that do not include either the dollar or the Euro. For example, two investors might do a trade between Israeli shekels and the South African ...

16. Becoming An Expert On Medicare Legislation And Benefits Could Be Your Next Business Growth Tool
(Matching tags: retirement planning,healthcare,investing)

Retirees may be in for a surprise when they discover that Medicare will only pay for 51% of their health care expense instead of the 68% they guessed on a recent survey.   Over half of retirees ...

17. Hidden Rebates On Trade Execution At Stock Exchanges May Be Costing Investors Money
(Matching tags: investing,regulation)

A recent study exposed incentive fees stock exchanges offer brokers as an incentive to do business with them. It highlights poor order routing that allegedly fueled additional trade execution costs of ...

18. Observing Everyday Buying Strategies Will Help You Understand Clients' Investment Needs
(Matching tags: investment strategies,investing for income,investing,investor behavior)

... to make investing simple for them. Simple in today’s world spells “sticky.”  ...

19. Minority Investors Have Significant Planning Needs According To A Recent Vanguard Study
(Matching tags: investing,investor behavior,new investors)

If you are looking for opportunities to address emerging needs of new investors, you may want to consider minorities. Vanguard just did a study that highlights the significant planning needs of blacks ...

20. If You're Looking For A Different Emerging Markets Play, Africa May Be An Interesting Area To Explore
(Matching tags: emerging markets,investing)

Emerging markets is one of the areas where investors have recently sought higher returns. It can be difficult to assess exactly which markets offer the best reward for the risk taken. Offering only 4% ...