News

Displaying 41750 results
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES JAN 30, 2008
Bond insurers could cost finance firms $75B

A possible collapse of teetering bond insurers could cost financial firms, including Merrill Lynch and Citigroup, up to $75 billion.

INDUSTRY NEWS JAN 30, 2008
Gross domestic product sputters in 4Q

This followed a 4.7% increase in the third quarter, bringing average growth in 2007 to 2.2%, compared with 2.9% in 2006.

INDUSTRY NEWS JAN 30, 2008
UBS, Legg Mason, Lazard, BNP & AMG

UBS posted a $14 billion write-down that will result in a $12.5 billion fourth-quarter loss.

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION JAN 29, 2008
House passes $146B stimulus package

The Senate is planning to vote on a $160 billion version of the stimulus bill tomorrow.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES JAN 29, 2008
Dinallo races to bolster bond insurers

Efforts to bail out bond insurers may be too late to prevent a ratings downgrade, a research firm says.

INDUSTRY NEWS JAN 29, 2008
December durable-goods orders up 5.2%

The hike exceeding original forecasts, posting a positive economic sign in the midst of recession fears.

INDUSTRY NEWS JAN 29, 2008
Death of B-D rule causing defections

The decision creates incentive for advisers to drop their securities licenses, said the general counsel of FSI.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES JAN 29, 2008
Banc One fined for deferred VA sales

Banc One Securities Corporation of Chicago was fined $225,000 by FINRA for making the unsuitable sales.

INDUSTRY NEWS JAN 29, 2008
T. Rowe, Waddell, Countrywide & more

T. Rowe Price earnings grew 28% in the fourth quarter on increased investment advisory fees and net inflows.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES JAN 29, 2008
Perella to advise NY on bond insurers

By recruiting Perella Weinberg, the state regulator would focus on protecting the policyholders of “monoline” insurers.

INDUSTRY NEWS JAN 29, 2008
Bleak house prices keep tumbling

Home prices in the United States fell by a record 8.4% in November, for an 11th consecutive monthly decline.

BROKER DEALERS JAN 28, 2008
Independent Broker-Dealers: Independent B-Ds facing tough times

After a sterling 2007, leading independent-contractor broker-dealers are facing a horde of significant problems this year, with the subprime-mortgage crisis, skyrocketing gas and oil prices and the threat of a recession the most daunting.

INDUSTRY NEWS JAN 28, 2008
New-home sales fall to 12-year low

Sales of single-family homes fell 4.7% in December to a seasonally adjusted rate of 604,000.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES JAN 28, 2008
Insurers revamp equity index annuities for boomers

Inspired by market volatility, insurance carriers are making over their equity-index annuities in an attempt to beat a bad reputation and target baby boomer investors.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES JAN 28, 2008
Gender is big factor in pension gap

Gender is a strong factor in determining the likelihood of whether a worker 50 or older receives an annuity or a company-sponsored pension payment, according to a recently released study.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES JAN 28, 2008
Assurant CEO returns to duty

Robert B. Pollock's return follows a six-month hiatus when Mr. Pollock went on administrative leave by order of the board of directors.

INDUSTRY NEWS JAN 28, 2008
Barrett Capital brings endowment approach to 'mini-millionaires'

When entrepreneur David Barrett couldn't find an investment firm he trusted to manage several million dollars, he created his own.

OPINION JAN 28, 2008
It's time for greedy CEOs to do time

Gregory Reyes is the first chief executive to be sentenced to prison and socked with a huge fine for improperly back-dating stock options.

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION JAN 28, 2008
Scammed plaintiffs look beyond B-Ds for restitution

Two of the biggest blowups in the retail-investing business are wending their way through legal channels, with plaintiff's attorneys looking far and wide to place blame in order to win money for clients.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES JAN 28, 2008
Annuity sales can destroy estate planning strategies

Insurance agents and advisers are hawking annuities without grasping the adverse impact on clients' estate plans, industry observers said.