Smith Barney, facing a rising number of broker departures from its branches, this month hit four ex-reps and a rival broker-dealer with a lawsuit.
Hard times are on the horizon for insurers as commercial mortgage exposure haunts carriers and capital levels shrink, according to Fitch.
Insurers have begun bidding for American Life Insurance Co., the life insurance unit of American International Group Inc.
Prices of existing single-family homes tumbled 18.2% on average in the fourth quarter of 2008, marking the biggest year-over-year price decline in 21 years
Americans' already battered confidence in the economy went into free fall in February, sinking to new lows.
A declining percentage of Americans believe they are saving enough for retirement, according to a survey released today by the Consumer Federation of America.
While all 401(k) investors have sustained significant losses in the last year, no one has suffered more than the wealthiest 401(k) participants.
As market volatility persists, the Financial Planning Association has created a research program that is aimed to help advisers choose the best technology.
Janus Capital Group Inc. of Denver saw its ratings drop a notch to junk status today courtesy of Standard & Poor’s of New York.
A former Secret Service agent is expected to be named chairman of the organization overseeing the federal-economic-stimulus-plan spending.
The challenge: Because of the increase in corporate layoffs, retirement plan rollovers are becoming bigger than ever.
The country stands to lose a sizable chunk of economic activity in 2009 as consumers at home and abroad retrench in the face of persistent economic troubles.
Investors' concerns about negative market returns are likely to create a greater demand for guaranteed products such as variable annuities, but the downturn in the markets has changed the insurers' cost of managing the hedging risk of VAs.
Much as the Great Depression spawned an entire generation of skeptical and conservative investors, the current financial crisis could have a similar effect on the financial tendencies of today's "Millennial" generation.
In a nod to today's touchy political environment regarding executive compensation, financial advisers at the firm born out of a joint venture between Morgan Stanley and Smith Barney will not receive retention bonuses.
As the broad market continues its free fall, independent broker-dealer Woodbury (Minn.) Financial Services Inc. is grappling with changes in senior management and the lingering problems of its owner, The Hartford (Conn.) Financial Services Group Inc.
The irony is powerful: Just as client demand for quality advice is reaching an all-time high, the business models that support the selling of advice have never looked worse.
Advisers may complain about variable annuities, but most still endorse the product.
As this year's returning chairman of the NAIC's Life Insurance and Annuities (A) Committee, Eric R. Dinallo's priorities are making sure that consumers are protected while helping carriers steer a course through choppy economic waters.
Wealth managers in the Phoenix area say that the financial crisis and its calamitous impact on the stock market is forcing them to rethink their investment strategies.
