In October, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the private retirement plans of Americans including 401(k) and IRA accounts dropped by some $2 trillion, or 20 percent in the 15 months ending September 30. Yes, those are big, scary...

In September and October, Houston-based financial advisor Mike Robertson was getting 60 calls a day from panicked clients. On Long Island, New York, about 5 percent of Mark Snyder's clients hit the phones. They're saying, What's happening? says...

Faced with gyrating markets, many retirees worry about exhausting their savings. To calm nerves, some clients may insist on reducing their spending. But if withdrawal plans have been carefully designed, advisors have little reason to make major...

As nervous retail investors, spooked by Wall Street's fading fortunes, started seeking a safer haven for their money in recent months and the potential to juice returns with seemingly no downside risk many were lured by offers of principal...

All eyes are on the stock market's gyrations and its impact on retirement plans. Bear markets are a vexing problem for retirees, of course, but that's not the real issue. The coming retirement crisis is worse than a simple bear market cycle. Just...

Merrill Lynch reported its fifth straight quarterly loss today.

Citigroup reported a $2.8 billion loss for the third quarter—it’s forth in a row— as the firm announced more than $13.2 billion in charges related largely to its mortgage portfolio.

In the first half of 2008, Camden Capital Management, a fee-only registered investment advisor (RIA) in El Segundo, Calif., added $100 million to its growing pot of client assets. By the end of the year, John Krambeer, Camden's president, reckons...

RIAs Wirehouse Reps Obligation to Clients Fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests at all times Can put his firm's interests first, as long as his recommendation is for the client Compensation Model Fee-based or asset-based Fee-based or...