This site contains informative reports on a wide range of investment, financial, and estate planning topics. All reports were written by leading professionals at financial and legal service firms nationwide, to provide readers a practical, hands-on perspective. Condensed versions appeared in BusinessWeek magazine. Reports may be viewed or downloaded without charge, however usage of this site is only permitted only in accordance with the stated terms and conditions.
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A traditional investment portfolio is comprised of a combination of vehicles, most commonly stocks, bonds, cash and mutual funds. In today's environment of volatile stock markets and rising interest rates, alternative, non-traditional asset classes may provide the balance needed to increase a portfolio's performance and increase current income while decreasing the “roller coaster ride” the stock and bond market has given many of us of late.
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The financial planning process is an ongoing discipline not unlike a physical fitness regime or an intellectual fitness program. We generally recognize that regular exercise, proper nutrition and intellectual stimulation add to the quality of our lives. Simply put, we feel better having adopted these ongoing disciplines. Capital Formation Group (CFG) views financial planning as an evolving and continual part of a well-balanced lifestyle.
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As an individual investor you likely expect your portfolio to meet a variety of needs or goals. When an investment professional determines what an investor’s strategy should be, a common practice is to identify a level of risk tolerance—a measure of the investor’s ability to handle declines in his/her portfolio.
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The Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (TIPRA) primarily extends tax breaks that have either recently expired or are scheduled to expire in future years. Below, we outline a few of the provisions that may affect wealthy individuals. To determine TIPRA’s effects on your unique investment portfolio, please contact a Stephens financial consultant.
Michael Cronkhite is Vice President of Wealth Management in the Private Client Group at Stephens Inc. Mr. Cronkhite assists Stephens Inc.’s financial consultants in developing wealth management, retirement and asset allocation strategies for high net worth clients.
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By investing with an experienced socially responsible investment (SRI) manager, Catholic institutions can leverage the power they possess as shareholders to encourage better corporate performance in areas such as governance, wage justice, environmental sustainability and human rights.
CBIS is the leader in Catholic socially responsible investing with more $3.5 bil. in assets under management. Our diverse range of institutional funds and separate accounts enable Catholic organizations to achieve their financial goals in a manner consistent with Catholic social teachings.
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According to the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses represent 99.9 percent of the total businesses in the United States. However, the success rate of those businesses through a transition is less than inspiring. Typically, only one in three will survive transition to a second generation. Of those that survive, approximately one-half will survive the transition to a third generation.
Fulton Financial Advisors has more than 100 years of investment management experience to bring you the highest quality advisory services available today.
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Global investors are seeing the vast opportunities in Eastern Europe. From Austria to Russia, we are witnessing strong performance from strong companies. Traditional emerging markets should be measured against Eastern Europe when considering superior performance from quality international companies. In 2004, the Eastern European region returned 53.2%, continuing its strong performances from 2003 and 2002. Two mutual funds which exemplify the success of this region are VEEEX and TMRFX .
The World Funds is a family of specialty mutual funds. We currently represent a wide array of disciplines including a Russian fund, a Life Sciences fund, an International Small Cap fund, a Shareholder Yield fund, a US All Cap fund, a Real Estate Income fund, and an Eastern European fund.
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Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) rapidly are becoming a principal investment tool for a wide spectrum of investors. ETFs combine characteristics of index mutual funds and stocks. They are similar to index funds, in that they represent a basket of stocks that seeks to mirror a particular index, asset class or market sector. ETFs trade in the same manner as stocks, throughout the day on major market exchanges.
Park Avenue Securities LLC is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser and broker dealer. Park Avenue Securities has created a program utilizing ETFs.
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Financial health means different things to different people, but chances are you haven’t taken into account everything that is important to saving and protecting your assets: savings accumulation, debt management, asset preservation and asset distribution. Give yourself a personal financial check up by tallying the components of financial health that you already have in place, find out what you need to work on and learn the basics of financial security.
StanCorp Investment Advisers is a fee-only personal financial planning and investment management firm helping clients achieve financial security. A subsidiary of StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: SFG) it is marketed under “The Standard” brand. Portland, OR 800-378-5742, www.stancorpadvisers.com.
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The road to retirement isn’t driven overnight, so there’s no sense in taking shortcuts with an investment strategy. By choosing a thoughtful asset allocation strategy and maintaining a disciplined approach, investors achieve results while minimizing risks.
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In the face of inevitable uncertainty, what guidelines exist to navigate the asset allocation minefield as both powerful and subtle forces impact the managers in your portfolio? By building a reliable dynamic portfolio of managers driven by your adaptation of the three R’s real options, reliability and robustness, you will no longer languish in the world of modern portfolio theory-based allocations that chase hot-dot managers whose time has passed.
Strategic Capital Allocation Group LLC empowers its institutional and Fortune 500 executive high net-worth clients with unprecedented levels of managerial flexibility to tame complexity in asset allocation, enable effective decisions and deliver results.
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Retirement 401(k) plan sponsors face heightened levels of fiduciary accountability. This responsibility requires the expertise to make conflict-free plan decisions in the best interest of plan participants. Plan fiduciaries are best served by platforms that deliver open fund architecture, full disclosure of plan expenses, refunds of mutual fund credits to avoid selection conflicts, and professionally managed accounts for those participants interested in investment assistance.
Pan-American Financial Advisers, through seasoned independent representatives, provides brokerage and financial planning services to retail and institutional clients nationwide. Services include 401(k) and other retirement plans, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and variable annuities.
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Many investors may not realize that while the stock market generally rises over time, the “long term” is made up of extended bull and market cycles. These secular trends typically last for years not months, with long bear markets following long bull markets. If a secular bear market is underway, stocks could disappoint investors for years while foiling the best-laid retirement plans.
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We are the most prosperous people on earth and yet most of us experience some sort of anxiety over money. Those who have little are worried that they do not have enough and are convinced that everything would be better if only they had more. People with money worry that they will lose what they have, or fret that they are making wrong decisions with their money, or that they are making wrong decisions with their lives because of their money.
RTD Financial Advisors, Inc. is a fee-only Financial Life Planning firm that specializes in discovering our clients' goals and values and developing strategies to help them achieve those goals.
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A Lead Advisor will help the estate planning process run more efficiently, at lower cost, and provide a single contact to field issues and keep consistency of purpose. A well skilled and experienced Lead Advisor will increase the confidence of the client, expedite the process with the estate team, and keep the estate plan current year to year.
Important considerations when picking a Lead Advisor: Professional Disciplines, Track Record, Client Base, Testimonials, Network, Resources, and Fees.
Chamberlain Group is an independent financial services organization that provides customized investment, insurance, and estate planning strategies. Chamberlain advises a select group of executives, business owners, individuals and families who wish to preserve and grow assets for generations.
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Credit derivatives are the most rapidly growing part of the global securities market with assets now estimated at over $12 trillion. This means that this market will have an impact on investors, whether they are aware of it or not. Considering the increasing size of the asset class, the involvement of the world’s key financial institutions, and the far-ranging consequences of what happens here, credit derivatives are something that every savvy investor should know about.
Aladdin Capital Management LLC was founded in November 1999. Located in Stamford, CT., Aladdin focuses primarily on nontraditional fixed-income investment management with an emphasis on structured credit products. As of November 2005, Aladdin has approximately $8 billion in assets under management.
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In the search for superior returns, investors have tried many approaches. Most have been disappointing because they fail to deliver expected higher returns or only work for brief periods or under special circumstances. On the other hand, the value approach to investing has produced better than market results over many decades in both academic tests and professional use.
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Are you interested in building personal wealth that will transcend your life and connect directly with what you value in life or are you simply building monetary wealth to serve your own interest, but is of limited value beyond their own personal retirement? While both perspectives create wealth, only the wealth that is connected to ones personal values seems to transcend lives. So how does one build a wealth program that is so closely connected to a personal vision?
Securian Advisors MidAmerica, Inc. is a financial services company with over 650 million in assets under management. Securian has 13,000 clients in all 50 states. Securian has been in business since 1981 and exits to see their clients succeed financial.
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Dividends provide the only real, tangible and bankable return of capital to investors. Investments that never yield cash can be very risky because the potential for capital appreciation may be transient, deceptive and often unfulfilled.
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Financial planning is an art, as well as a science. It integrates the goals and objectives of an individual with creative solutions and technical expertise. It is a unique process for every individual.
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The reader will learn that every business owner tends to have the same problems after selling their business. Investment management is only one area of need. Many other emotions and needs must be addressed.
Advising former business owners is a major focus of Herndon Plant Oakley Ltd. After three decades of working with business owners who sold their companies, the key word is experience. The company advises business owners from sale to transition to a planned future of continued success.
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In February, President Bush signed into law the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) to reign in federal entitlement spending. In his speech, he remarked that “Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are now growing faster than the economy, faster than the population and three times the rate of inflation.” He added that in the next 25 years, funding for these three services will comprise almost 60% of the federal budget.
Established in 1879, Bankers Life and Casualty Company is a subsidiary of Conseco, Inc. Bankers is a leading provider of retirement planning solutions, focusing exclusively on the financial security needs of seniors.
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Investors in the bond market generally have three primary goals:
1. Preservation of capital (not losing all or portions of the original investment)
2. A good return (income or interest payments) on the original investment
3. Possible appreciation of the capital investment
In most cases, investing in bonds satisfies these objectives. Holding a bond to maturity will generally return the original investment, while paying interest throughout the period the bond is owned.
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Entering 2007, Americans face the continued challenge of protecting their wealth, including investment portfolios, from various taxes and other liability. Federal transfer taxes (estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes), with rates at 45% in 2007, present one of the formidable challenges. Rising state taxes and increasing opportunities for potential liability heighten the risk.
Millennium Wealth Management & Private Banking, a division of Harleysville National Bank (founded 1909), provides comprehensive trust, wealth management and private banking services to individuals, families, foundations, endowments and other institutions.
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This report builds the case for a return to growth stock investing. In essence, negative sentiment is overextended, valuations are historically cheap, and a fundamental slowdown in corporate profits will lead investors to pay greater premiums for sustainable growth franchises.
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A personal Chief Financial Officer (CFO) helps wealthy individuals achieve their financial goals by ensuring they receive objective advice and expertise, by managing and integrating all financial affairs and wealth strategies, and by coordinating their team of financial professionals. When choosing a personal CFO, one should look for a fee-based firm with a staff of highly-credentialed professionals with a diversity of experience from multiple disciplines.
Sterling provides comprehensive, integrated financial management and investment counseling to private wealth owners seeking objective advice and guidance. A boutique wealth management firm, we serve 100 families with $3.5 billion under administration.
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REITs are an asset class with high current yield, significant dividend growth, low historical correlations to other assets, and inflation hedging characteristics. Therefore, allocating a portion of your portfolio to REITs could greatly improve your risk/return profile because of their unique characteristics and diversification benefits
Stonebridge Capital Management has managed customized portfolios for individuals, family groups and institutions for nearly 60 years. Stonebridge is independently owned which permits us to focus solely upon investment management and to provide exceptional service to our clients.
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You’re on your own! If you’re finally leaving work life with, say, $500,000 or perhaps you received that from the passing of a parent or a divorce settlement, this is your nest egg. But how do you make it grow? How do you make sure it produces the income you need now and in the future.
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The October 2004 decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to increase regulation of hedge funds indicates a continued bright future for these investment vehicles – and will increase transparency for investors.
The mechanics of the new rule make it likely that off-shore jurisdictions like the Cayman Island will see a sizeable increase in the amount of hedge fund business done there.
Walkers is a Cayman Islands based law firm which focuses principally on corporate and international finance law with an emphasis on capital markets and structured finance, investment funds and asset finance.
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As hedge funds migrate towards investment portfolios, how do Chief Investment Officers monitor trading? he growth in hedge funds has been substantial in the past few years. Estimates peg the industry at $890 billion up from less than $400 billion in early 2001.
DPM provides onshore and offshore alternative asset fund administration, including portfolio valuation, daily NAVs, risk administration and portfolio transparency solutions for fund managers, asset allocators, institutional investors and proprietary traders.
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Often an investor is faced with the dilemma of needing cash from their investments as well as growth. One possible solution to such a situation could be investing in a balanced mutual fund and implementing a systematic withdrawal plan.
Herndon Plant Oakley is an established investment firm headquartered in Texas and founded on the premise of investing for the long-term. HPO works with clients throughout the U.S. on a personal, individualized basis.
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Most individuals and families go through a series of financial stages throughout the course of their lives. As they go through these various stages, their financial strategies need to change and adapt to reflect their evolving life and financial circumstances. By going through a process called life cycle financial planning, you can identify the main financial priorities that should be addressed at each of these stages.
National City’s Private Client Group delivers financial solutions to high-net-worth individuals and families with local experts in investment management, fiduciary services, estate administration, private banking, charitable and endowment, brokerage and financial consulting services.
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The rules surrounding Required Minimum Distributions are often confusing. Once you reach age 70 1/2, you must withdraw at least a minimum amount – your Required Minimum Distribution – each year from your tax-deferred retirement savings accounts. This includes your IRAs and any qualified retirement accounts you hold with a former employer. It is important to consult with a retirement plan specialist, well in advance of your first required distribution.
Householder Group is one of the nation’s largest independent retirement and estate planning firms with AIG Financial. As a registered investment advisory firm, Householder Group specializes in developing and implementing retirement and estate plans for private clients.
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Retiring with confidence means tackling tough questions before you’re ready to retire and having a plan in place that makes the most of your retirement savings. You’ll need to have financial strategies that strike a balance between growing your assets to provide an income stream and protecting your savings from the ravages of inflation and market volatility. A professional financial advisor can help you prepare by developing a solid plan for generating a dependable income in retirement.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a not-for-profit Fortune 500 financial services organization helping nearly three million members achieve their financial goals. We offer a broad range of financial products and services.
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Attractive yields and investment-grade credit quality make preferred securities an essential asset class of any well-diversified portfolio. This report summarizes the basic structures and tax-advantaged aspects of preferred securities and describes techniques which individual investors can use to invest in this asset class.
Flaherty & Crumrine Incorporated has over 22 years experience managing preferred and related securities portfolios for closed-end funds and institutional clients using strategies designed to achieve high sustainable income.
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Compared to mutual funds, separate account management has a distinct competitive advantage: lower annual portfolio costs in turnover (0.25%), taxation (0.40%) and fees (0.35%). Incremental total annual cost savings of 1% will significantly boost your real rate of return by 40% over a 30 year investment time horizon. Lower your portfolio costs via separate account management. Retire with more money.
