Displaying 913 results
Bernanke reappointment makes perfect sense
Most financial commentators approved when President Obama two weeks ago reappointed Ben Bernanke as Federal Reserve Board chairman. However, in most of the commentaries, the approval was based on the belief that it would be unwise for the president to introduce more uncertainty into the financial markets at this critical period in the recovery.
Don’t make Swiss cheese of U.S. tax law
The U.S. government must continue its efforts to crack Switzerland's bank secrecy walls. Those barriers have helped perhaps hundreds of thousands of wealthy Americans shield at least some of their income from the Internal Revenue Service.
Wall Street needs a dose of common sense
Wall Street firms pride themselves on hiring the best and the brightest, yet they constantly do dumb things in pursuit of profits that bring the whole financial industry into disrepute.
Advisers should approach stocks cautiously
No wonder investors have lost faith in the stock market.
Crisis commission is a wasted opportunity
First, carry out the sentence. Then select the jury (preferably a dysfunctional or biased one). Finally, hold the trial and announce the verdict. That is the peculiar process that Congress and the Obama administration are following in trying to ensure that there will be no repeat of the financial crisis.
Leveraged ETFs: Handle with care
investment advisers, financial planners and brokers should exercise extra caution before they recommend or guide their clients into leveraged exchange traded funds.
Congress must enact regulatory reforms carefully
President Obama's regulatory reform proposals provided a broad outline and left many of the details to Congress. Ideally, before filling in those details, Congress will gather evidence on what caused the financial crisis, and where regulation actually broke down.
We need financial cops – and speed limits
Mary Schapiro, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, is correct: Fiduciary standards for all who give investment advice won't be sufficient to deter fraud.
Regulatory reforms are positive moves for investors
The Obama administration has put forward an excellent blueprint for regulatory reform. Much of what the administration has proposed will increase transparency, reduce the risk of another financial meltdown and
Two cheers for automatic IRA enrollment
Something must be done to encourage employees of small companies to save for retirement. As many as 78 million such workers aren't saving for the future and ultimately will depend solely on Social Security for retirement income.
Time for government to get out of the way of a recovery
Now that the stock market seems to be signaling that the recession has bottomed, perhaps the demagogic bashing of bankers, insurance executives, hedge fund managers, auto executives and even ordinary businesspeople will cease.
Insurance industry needs systemic-risk check
Congress should pass, as quickly as possible, a bill to establish an Office of Insurance Information.
Insurance industry needs federal oversight
Congress is likely to begin a review of the financial oversight system next month, with an eye toward revamping regulation. Banking, of course, will take center stage, especially now that the federal government has a direct stake in many of the nation's largest banks.
Let’s rebuild retirement’s three legs
For decades, the U.S. retirement system was described as a three-legged stool.
Obama was wrong to demonize Chrysler’s debt holders
President Obama was off-base to castigate the Chrysler secured debt holders who held out against the proposed deal to rescue Chrysler LLC.
Activity of investment advice needs regulation
As Congress prepares to tighten financial regulation to correct weaknesses revealed by the mortgage collapse, the debate over who should regulate those who give in-vestment advice, including financial planners,
Fund fees face legal scrutiny
Two legal cases that will be decided by courts this year may significantly affect the mutual fund and investment advisory industries.
Let’s focus on dangers of the future, Mr. Bernanke
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke and his Fed colleagues must begin to address investors' concerns about inflation in more concrete terms than he did in his speech at Morehouse College in Atlanta last week.
Abuse by speculators keeps investors on the sidelines
Investor's confidence in the stock and bond markets has been shaken, not just by economic weakness but also by the feeling that professional speculators are using tools not available to ordinary investors to plunder the markets.
Crisis challenges long-held investing truths
Two important lessons of the current bear market are that stocks don't always outperform bonds over significant time periods and that investors can't assume a 10% annual return over the long run.
