The Preqin All-Strategies Hedge Fund benchmark grew just 2.02% last year, its lowest annual return since 2011, when the benchmark sank 1.77%. The industry "has been exposed to much of the financial turmoil of 2015," said Amy Bensted of Preqin. Hedgeweek (London) (1/18)
Venture capitalists are backing an online platform called PolicyGenius meant to help people choose life, long-term disability, renters and pet insurance plans. Users complete an online questionnaire, and the site returns quotes and plan comparisons. TechCrunch (1/14), MedCityNews.com (1/14)
Workplace retirement plans will remain in the spotlight in 2016, experts say. States will continue to offer their own retirement programs; more plan sponsors will automatically enroll employees in plans; and financial education will rise as a priority, they say. MarketWatch (1/18)
Among the ways advisers can make meetings with clients and staff more productive are to make sure everyone knows the point of the meeting, to have an agenda for every meeting and to make sure the meetings start and end on time, says business-development expert Cameron Herold. InvestmentNews (1/14)
Advisers need to learn about their clients' backgrounds and families before talking about financial specifics, says Lee Stoerzinger, a planner in Oakdale, Minn. "We are in a unique position as financial advisers: People often tell us things they don't tell anyone else," Stoerzinger says. Financial Advisor online (1/15)
Many stock mutual funds have had a rough start to 2016, but "it's really just a pinprick given how well stocks have done in the past several years," Russel Kinnel writes. "… So, you do not want to overreact and upend your portfolio because markets have gotten volatile." Morningstar (1/15)
some people might be able to use the tax-free proceeds of reverse mortgages to keep "from going over into the next Medicare surcharge bracket," which might help them pay less in surcharges, Katy Votava writes. InvestmentNews (1/15)
Saving for retirement can be especially hard for single women, planners say. "Their lower earnings lead to smaller Social Security benefits," said financial planner David Rae. "Add the fact that women tend to outlive men, and you have a recipe for financial disaster." Investor's Business Daily (1/15)
Aite Group has published a list of the top trends in the financial services industry. The top trend will be the ongoing reshaping of the industry, it said, followed by more verticalization, the further importance of technology and massive regulatory change. ThinkAdvisor (1/15)
Despite the widespread attention online platforms get, about 30% of advisers aren't using social media in their businesses, according to a report from Practical Perspectives. Among those, less than half expect to start in the next year, the report said. ThinkAdvisor (1/13)
Main office
BROOKLYN OFFICE
Copyright © 2023 BrokersCentral. All Rights Reserved.
