News

May 10, 2010

WEALTH ADVISER: ETFs That Shield Against Market Swings

by IAN SALISBURY

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Many exchange-traded funds are designed to help investors hedge against big market swings like the ones we've recently seen. And some carry their own kinds of risks.

May 7, 2010

WEALTH ADVISER: Money Managers Still Seek Gains From Stocks

by IAN SALISBURY

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--The stock market's rough week has wiped out most of the gains the Standard & Poor's 500 posted this year, but money managers are still hoping to register attractive returns by betting on stocks.

May 2, 2010

Tax-loss overhangs allow investors to benefit from 2008 downturn

by Jeff Benjamin

Embedded capital losses, which represent a combination of realized and unrealized losses, offer a rare opportunity for mutual fund investors in taxable accounts. According to Morningstar Inc., there are more 100 equity funds with embedded losses, also known as tax-loss overhangs, of more than 100%.

February 19, 2009

Brokerage Firms See Higher Outflows in SMAs

by IAN SALISBURY

Holders of separately managed accounts are supposed to be the brokerage business's VIPs, but humble mutual-fund holders may find themselves better-served in the long run. Amid the rocky fourth quarter, investors that work with fee-based financial advisers pulled money from both SMAs and mutual funds, but brokerage firms' high-rolling SMA clients appear to have been far more rash.

February 18, 2009

Brokerage Firms See Higher Outflows in SMAs

by IAN SALISBURY

Holders of separately managed accounts are supposed to be the brokerage business's VIPs, but humble mutual-fund holders may find themselves better-served in the long run.

January 23, 2009

Trouble at Barclays Raises ETN Worries

by IAN SALISBURY

With Barclays PLC's share price sliding, worries have spread about one product that recently seemed like a hit with Main Street investors: its iPath exchange-traded notes.

December 22, 2008

Capital Gains Hit Some ETFs

by IAN SALISBURY

Most exchange-traded funds made good on their promise to shield investors from unwanted capital gains in 2008 -- with a few startling exceptions.

November 2, 2008

To cushion tax shock, advisers urged to act

by Jeff Benjamin

As mutual fund investors brace for a likely double whammy of negative performance, coupled with above-average income and capital gains distributions, financial advisers are homing in on all manner of tax management to try to cushion the blow and add some value in a dismal market environment.

September 4, 2008

Global Players Must Watch the Dollar

by IAN SALISBURY

A strong dollar could mean weak returns for investors in overseas stocks.

Main Street investors poured billions into international stock funds during the past several years as the tumbling dollar turbocharged returns. Now that the dollar appears to be on the rebound, those investors face tough choices about whether to sell, hedge their bets or just stick it out.

August 18, 2008

Will Vanguard's Tweaks Lead To New ETF?

by Dan Serra

Vanguard has taken out its wrench and tinkered with its Total International Stock Index Fund (VGTSX) by throwing out the fund-of-funds concept and investing in individual stocks.