|
|
Investing
|
Many Investors Do Not Have Life Insurance Policies Although Purchasing One Is A High Priority |
|
Monday, May 21, 2012 13:39
|
|
Tags: business owners | investor behavior | life planning
A new survey says that investors would invest in a life insurance policy if they were offered it. Most life insurance owners have recognized their need for a policy on their own. Of those who have not purchased life insurance, 62% said they had never been approached about purchasing a policy. This Website Is For Financial Professionals Only
Sixty-six percent of those who do not currently have life insurance said they had not inquired about purchasing life insurance. The market for life insurance seems to lie with younger investors. Older investors do not find offers made to them to be unattractive.
The underwriting process seems overwhelming to a little over 26% of those surveyed. Yet 45% of those who do not currently own life insurance listed owning a policy as one of their top five priorities. Thirty-four percent list it as a top three priority. Showing how insurance can help investors accomplish goals they have set for both their personal lives and their businesses seems to be a best approach. |
|
|
NASDAQ Glitches Made Facebook Offering Frustrating For Investors |
|
Monday, May 21, 2012 13:27
|
|
Tags: NYSE | US investing
The widely watched debut of Facebook shares on the NASDAQ Friday, May 18, also saw glitches in the NASDAQ trading system throughout the day. Some investors had a difficult time finding out if their orders had been executed since the NASDAQ’s trading system had problems filling orders at various times throughout the trading day. This Website Is For Financial Professionals Only
Although NASDAQ’s OMX group says it is changing its trading protocol for initial public offerings, investors who claim the glitches cost them money in poorly executed trades are asking for their losses to be recompensed. The reputation of the exchange may also have been marred since Facebook was one of the largest companies ever to come to market.
NASDAQ chose to work through the issues rather than to pull the offering since that would have caused many more problems but that fact did little to placate irate traders who felt their orders were hanging in suspension while the market moved against them. The NASDAQ’s main rival, the New York Stock Exchange, lost its bid for the offering and officials there seemed to feel the NASDAQ’s glitches gave them the best advertising they could hope for.
Read more...
|
|
Municipal Bond Indexes Weaken To Their Lowest Points In Recent Weeks |
|
Friday, May 18, 2012 15:48
|
|
Tags: investing | municipal bonds | Treasury bonds
Investors abandoned the municipal bond market mid-May after yields fell to near record lows on short to intermediate term bonds. The weekly average yield to maturity on the Bond Buyer muni bond index remained at record lows for the second week in a row while 30-year Treasury yields dropped drastically to 2.81%. This Website Is For Financial Professionals Only
Tobacco bonds were blamed for a significant portion of the declines since fewer people smoke. Investors are concerned those bonds might default since the number of smokers is so low. Puerto Rican bonds also contributed to the decline after concerns rose about the commonwealth’s liability to its pension plan.
Pension plan concerns for municipalities are growing and Puerto Rico seems to be the most recent addition to the list. Revenue bond indexes gained a bit but did not match their previous high of two weeks ago. General obligation bonds declined slightly. |
|
Even Young Investors Will Not Be Adequately Served By Online Platforms Alone |
|
Friday, May 18, 2012 15:19
|
|
Tags: client education | technology | US investing
If you disagree with Michael Kitces prediction that technology companies and virtual platforms will become stiff competition for you, you’re not alone. Plenty of advisors doubt that investors can adequately be served by online services alone. Rather, they need quality advice to guide them in using online resources. This Website Is For Financial Professionals Only
Forrester Research’s Bill Doyle says predictions for machines dominating humans have been made for a long time. Examples include Financial Engines which started out as a resource for online advice but that is now focused on 401(k) issues.
Technology companies and platforms certainly get younger investors’ attention. But this seems to point even more to the need for advisors to provide quality service in a format preferred by clients instead of new technologies actually supplanting the need for advisors. Either way, staying up on industry developments will help you tailor your business more directly to your clients’ needs and preferences. |
|
Equity Funds Are Still The Losers In Mutual Fund Flows |
|
Friday, May 18, 2012 15:07
|
|
Tags: investing | mutual funds | US investing
The Investment Company Institute (ICI) says that investors are even less in love with equities last week than they were the week before. New data shows that investors pulled another $2.41 billion the week before May 9. This Website Is For Financial Professionals Only
Bond funds were the winners yet again and hybrid funds—those investing in both stocks and bonds—also were successful wooers of investors’ money.
Mutual funds overall attracted three times as much money as the previous week, gaining $6.91 billion in flows over the previous week’s $2.2 billion. Equity flows may not improve until some of the angst abates about Greece and Europe’s handling of its sovereign debt crisis. Greater improvement in the US economic indicators should also give investors greater confidence in the equities markets.
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 231 of 481 |
|
|
