Thursday Oct 22, 2009
Fidelity's online-brokerage services will now allow investors to trade foreign stocks and currencies directly.
Friday Sep 25, 2009
Estate is such a nice word. We all have one, in fact we all have three. They are Gross, Taxable and Probate and a goal is to make the first large and the others small!
Friday Sep 18, 2009
In the coming months, we are likely to see public debate on regulation of financial services. A part of that will attempt to define and apply a fiduciary standard. Will it impact your adviser relationships? Learn to protect yourself.
Thursday Sep 10, 2009
Too many brokerage accounts have termination or transfer fees. Why should we pay to end a business relationship that is less than satisfactory?
Wednesday Aug 12, 2009
Beware of advertisements that don’t clearly identify the investment product or strategy being proposed. A lack of disclosure and transparency in an ad should be a red flag when it comes to the financial products and advisers consumers should consider.
Friday Aug 7, 2009
As a result of the financial crisis and a weak economy, financial institutions have merged at a frenetic pace. Survival in a post-merger world is difficult, but with the right plan you can be successful.
Monday Aug 3, 2009
Now is one of the better times we will see to understand our personal risk tolerance and how it might affect our ability to achieve better returns or undermine our ability to live comfortably with the inevitable risks in our portfolios.
Tuesday Jul 28, 2009
More people are turning to indepedant investment advisors out of a better sense of trust and more brokers are becoming independant advisors as a lucrative career option.
Monday Jul 27, 2009
Characteristics of mutual funds that indicate a strong focus on fiduciary management - what to look for when trying to determine if the fund acts in the best interests of the investor.
Friday Jul 24, 2009
Although there's definitely a need for reform in the financial industry, isn't there a way to protect investors without trying to make everyone a fiduciary?
| Type | Today | Week Ago |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Year Fixed | 4.62%  |
4.67% |
| 30 Year Fixed | 5.15% | 5.15% |
| 1 Year ARM | 3.48% |
3.51% |
| 5/1 Year ARM | 3.62% |
3.68% |
| Type | Today | Week Ago |
|---|---|---|
| Line of Credit | 4.89%  |
4.88% |
| 10 Year Loan | 7.47% | 7.47% |
| 15 Year Loan | 7.61% |
7.60% |
| Type | Today | Week Ago |
|---|---|---|
| Interest Checking | 0.28% | 0.28% |
| Money Market/Savings | 0.38% | 0.38% |
| 12 Month CD | 1.13%  |
1.15% |
| 60 Month IRA CD | 2.40% |
2.41% |
| Type | Today | Week Ago |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Back Cards | 12.66% |
12.68% |
| No Annual Fee Cards | 12.08% |
11.97% |
| Reward Cards | 12.75% |
12.61% |
| Small Business Cards | 11.01% |
10.94% |
| Student Cards | 13.77% |
13.49% |
| Platinum Cards | 12.26% |
12.11% |
Russell I do like your reference of Pandora's box. Perhaps a latch should be installed. To take the Devil's advocacy I am not sure that suitability really places the firms interest first. Not each situation is a win/lose proposition between the advisor and the public. Most of them are indeed routine with little if any differnences in incentive. I mention that becasue American Funds is the largest fund family out there and it is primarily recommended by wirehouses. American Funds scores well in most screenings. So it would appear that despite being offerred on a suitability basis it is quite possible that a fiduciary basis would have been satisfied as well. And I just figured out that WUOT is a radio station and not a cause :-)