As someone who came into the investment business in 1980, I was immediately enamored by the logic of Sir John Templeton. He was the founder and portfolio manager during the first 40 years of the Templeton Growth Fund. During his tenure the fund...

Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services (NYSE MKT: LTS) has acquired Highland Capital Brokerage, a wholesale life insurance brokerage based in Birmingham, Ala., for $42 million. The company says the acquisition will provide Ladenburg’s 2,800...

Wealthy individuals and families interested in tax-efficient investing are increasingly drawn to the benefits associated with Private Placement Variable Annuity (PPVA) Investment Accounts.  This article provides an overview of PPVA Investment...

Kansas City Life is selling Sunset Financial Services to Securities America

The life insurance settlement has come a long way in the past 20 years.  It has shed some of its misconceptions while becoming more mainstream, and each year the industry continues its evolution.  Today, life settlement companies perform...

Same-sex couples tend to be younger, more affluent and buy low-cost term insurance

An overlooked and underserved area of the client financial plan

There’s an old rule of thumb that suggests you’ll spend 20 percent to 30 percent less money after you retire. However, recent research shows that baby boomers are actively maintaining or even increasing their spending, especially early in retirem...

To receive $17,000 in annual retirement income at age 65 ... Source: New York Life LUNAMARINA/iStock/Thinkstock | Altrendo Images/Stockbyte/Thinkstock