Economy & Markets
The important economic and stock market news that advisors need to know.
Reid, Boehner Reach Short-Term Spending Deal
By Andrew TaylorThe top Republican and Democrat on Capitol Hill have announced an agreement to keep the government running on autopilot for six months when the current budget year ends on Sept. 30.
July 31, 2012
DIAs: Planting Their Roots in Fertile Soil for GrowthAt a time when many life insurers are scaling back or eliminating product guarantees because their balance sheets are strained, many advisors will be heartened to learn that one product boasting an attractive combination of guaranteed income, high rate of return and tax advantages is becoming more widely available: the...
July 31, 2012
PIMCO’s Gross: ‘The Cult of Equity Is Dying’Bill Gross is causing quite a stir (again). The chairman of PIMCO wrote in his August commentary that, going forward, investors will not experience the annual 6.6% real return on equities that they have seen since 1912.
July 31, 2012
Popular Company, Unpopular Stock: What's Wrong With Facebook?Facebook needs to address its growth issue and its business model.
July 31, 2012
SEC Wants More Power Over Muni Bond MarketThe 165-page report asks Congress for sweeping reforms, focusing on two key areas of concern: disclosure and market structure
July 31, 2012
Top 16 Most Optimistic Countries in EuropeWhos feeling optimistic in Europe? It may be counterintuitive, but according to this Gallup poll, the most optimistic people are those who rate their current lives poorly.
July 31, 2012
Eurozone Unemployment Sets RecordUnemployment throughout the eurozone hit a record, statistics revealed, with the numbers for many individual nations following suit.
July 30, 2012
Patton’s Fund Picks, Pt. 3: Bond FundsIn the third of a series of blogs, advisor Mike Patton shares his top picks in four different categories of fixed-income mutual funds.