The SEC voted in February to propose changes to the structure of the Form ADV, the disclosure document that all investment advisors must complete. Instead of the current online check-the-box format, investment advisors would be required to create...

One more time: Retail investors your clients are confused about the definition of a financial advisor. That is, they don't understand the difference between a Series 7 registered representative and a Series 65 investment advisor representative...

For the first time ever, bank holding companies (BHC) were required by the federal government to report annuity fees and commissions—and it turns out Wachovia earned more than any other BHC.

A financial advisor we know recently left his big brokerage firm to go independent completely independent, as in setting up his own registered investment advisory firm. How is the technology search going? we asked him. It's kind of a baffler, he...

It has been an embarrassing time for most big Wall Street banks. In the third quarter of 2007, NYSE-reporting firms posted their worst quarterly performance on record, collectively amassing $3.8 billion in losses. Of course, their balance sheets...

When the search for alpha takes conservative portfolios such as the Harvard and Yale endowments into the land of bellies, beans and bullion, investors and their advisors take notice. Consider that David Swensen, in charge of Yale's portfolio (and...

Using a wide-ranging investing style, Peter Lynch dominated the fund world during the 1980s. The manager of Fidelity Magellan was known to pick stocks from all over the market: He would buy small bank stocks one year and large industrials the next...

THE QUALIFICATIONS: Anyone can nominate a friend or colleague who meets the following criteria: A minimum of three years in the industry as a producing retail registered rep or investment advisor rep. A minimum of one year with his or her present...

In His New Book, Donald Trump admonishes us to Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life (Collins, $26.95). Tired of thinking small and failing to kick ass, I ventured to the Javitz Convention Center on New York City's west side one weekend in...

Much has changed since Elliot Spitzer's efforts exploded the well-entrenched preferred list model for mutual fund distribution. Centralized home-office due-diligence teams are now in the driver's seat, with advisors selecting products for their...