Opinion

Displaying 2109 results
NEWS OPINION OCT 04, 2010
To serve middle class, expand your offerings

In his Aug. 9 letter to the editor, “Rally the troops to help middle-income people,” Kevin Condon, executive vice president of adviser services at Myfinancialadvice Inc., did a wonderful job of illuminating the important issue of providing financial planning advice to middle-income people.

NEWS OPINION SEP 29, 2010
Four hot stocks that are still good bargains

Few of September's star stocks look like bargains. But here are a few that do, according to John Dorfman, chairman of Thunderstorm Capital in Boston and a columnist for Bloomberg News.

NEWS OPINION SEP 23, 2010
Sector selector: How do the major industry groups grade out?

Here's how the 10 major industry groups in the S&P 500 grade out, according to John Dorfman

NEWS OPINION SEP 14, 2010
Knee-jerk reaction to market's free fall should be avoided

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the various stock exchanges must resist the temptation to react impulsively to the market meltdown that occurred May 6.

NEWS OPINION SEP 01, 2010
The role of a fiduciary is timeless

As required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission has begun a six-month study of the regulation of brokers under the fair-dealing standard and advisers under the fiduciary standard.

NEWS OPINION AUG 23, 2010
'Buy' signal flashing with plunge in consumer confidence

Historically, large stocks make biggest gains when confidence in the U.S. economy is at its lowest

NEWS OPINION AUG 15, 2010
Minorities can enrich financial services industry

The confirmation a year ago of the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, following the election of the first black president, has signaled for many people a growing appreciation of racial diversity and inclusiveness in the United States.

NEWS OPINION JUL 23, 2010
Catch a rising star with four stocks on the move

Seven reasons we won't see a double dip
NEWS OPINION JUL 22, 2010
Seven reasons we won't see a double dip

It seems these days that half the headlines in the financial media fear a double-dip recession, as do half the conversations on Wall Street.

NEWS OPINION JUL 21, 2010
Recruiting wars at the wirehouses: Mid-year review

NEWS OPINION JUL 15, 2010
For fiduciary backers, fight not over

An important milestone has been reached on the path to the professionalization of financial advice with the inclusion of language in the financial-reform bill which would authorize the SEC to issue rules to extend the fiduciary standard to broker-dealers providing advice to retail clients.

NEWS OPINION JUL 13, 2010
Study This: Why a Fiduciary Standard Will STILL Come Up Short

NEWS OPINION JUL 01, 2010
Institutional arrogance at MSSB?

NEWS OPINION JUN 09, 2010
Clarification for indie advisers: Time to raise your benchmarks

Note to independent advisers: It's time to measure yourselves against a bigger stick.

NEWS OPINION JUN 08, 2010
The wall around the wirehouses

In one of my recent OpINion Online columns, I compared wirehouse management to communist regimes before the fall of the Berlin Wall

NEWS OPINION JUN 03, 2010
Goldman proves need for higher standards

While getting pilloried in hearings before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, representatives from The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. characterized their firm as a market maker, denied that they had fiduciary status, and displayed apparent bewilderment at the senators' questions about legal or ethical obligations to place clients' interests first.

NEWS OPINION JUN 03, 2010
Why wirehouse advisors think independent brokers are a joke

NEWS OPINION MAY 27, 2010
Fleeing the Wirehouse: Will the Big firms be able to change to meet the challenge?

NEWS OPINION MAY 27, 2010
Wirehouse Advisor: Do you have it in you to “breakaway”?

Take the time to figure it out!

A 'mechanical' approach to merger arbitrage
NEWS OPINION MAY 23, 2010
A 'mechanical' approach to merger arbitrage

There has been a significant increase in merger-related activity as the equity markets have recovered worldwide.