New jobless claims rose to their highest point in seven years due to the weakening economy and the recent hurricane season, according to a report released today by the Department of Labor.
The House of Representatives approved legislation yesterday that would relieve about 25 million middle-class taxpayers from paying the alternative minimum tax this year.
The Investment Company Institute and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association are launching a new research project to improve understanding of investors' use of individual retirement accounts.
“I would argue that the fundamentals are fine,” said Jonathan Golub, former chief investment strategist at The Bear Stearns Cos. Inc., “but the credit crisis is the only thing that is relevant right now.”
Investors scared away by shaky equity markets have been mining the gold market, but financial advisers are mixed as to whether the investments in the precious metal are a long-term play.
Charles Schwab & Co. is taking advantage of the financial crisis by attempting to lure brokers from Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley and other wirehouse brokerage firms to go independent and use Schwab as their custodian.
Thirteen banking and insurance executives have been selected to join the Washington-based trade association’s board.
National Financial Partners Corp. warned investors that its total revenue took a dive during the third quarter.
Advisers undoubtedly are concerned about their clients in this time of financial crisis, said Charles Goldman, executive vice president of Schwab Institutional, but they probably aren’t doing enough about it.
“The last six months ... have made abundantly clear that voluntary regulation doesn’t work,” Mr. Cox said in prepared testimony at a hearing of the Senate Banking Committee.
Second-quarter variable annuity sales fell to $41.9 billion, down 11.2% from the comparable period last year, according to NAVA Inc.
Lawmakers must take steps stabilize a financial situation that could pose “very serious consequences” for the U.S. “financial markets and for our economy," said Fed chief Ben Bernanke.
Confidence among global institutional investors continued to slump this month as increased market turmoil has caused investors to lose their appetite for risk, according to the State Street Investor Confidence Index.
The historic bailout may be as low as $100 billion to $200 billion, rather than the $700 billion being requested by the administration, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass. said yesterday.
A group of the world's largest hedge funds are planning to sue the Financial Services Authority for millions of pounds of losses allegedly resulting from the regulator's ban on short selling, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph.
The bond ratings agency said it has “sufficient” cash and government securities to fund potential termination payments related to guaranteed insurance contracts even if the notes issued by its MBIA Insurance Corp. unit are downgraded.
At a time when major investment banks are failing, the independent-advisory business is flourishing, according to a recent research report.
When politicians from Al Gore to T. Boone Pickens push for an issue such as alternative energy, you might think the sector is a bright spot in the struggling stock market.
The sputtering economy is continuing to take a toll on college savings, but Section 529 college savings plan officials remain upbeat.
The extreme stock market volatility kicked off a week ago when the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 500 points underscored the fear spreading across the investment community, leaving financial advisers scrambling for answers and sound advice.
