Industry News

The future of distribution

How is Distribution evolving, and what are the forces at play in this evolution? Will MGAs get their own self-regulatory organization? Does the MFDA, and the distribution model it oversees, have a future?Is there a place for smaller players in the emerging landscape, or does the writing on the wall say only big guns need apply? What does the evolution of the distribution space mean for advisors, and the clients they serve?

By Dean DiSpalatro |May 1, 2011

8 min read

Demystifying trusts

Trusts are among the most effective estate planning tools. They have been a staple of estate planning in the common law world for centuries because of their unique structure and flexibility. Trusts have remained relevant because they easily adapt to various social and cultural changes. Originally created to address land ownership issues, today trusts are well suited to address significant taxation of income, complex family structures and a desire to protect vulnerable family members.

By Elaine Blades |May 1, 2011

5 min read

A tangled web of taxes

Can someone actually enjoy an insect collection? Maybe not in the strict sense of the word, but as this case will show, one may nonetheless enjoy the tax results that derive from it.

May 1, 2011

3 min read

Pension investing using ETFs: Part 3

In the now-iconic scene set in Katz’s Delicatessen in New York City, a woman of some years mischievously asks her waiter to bring her the rye and pastrami sandwich she assumes was responsible for Meg Ryan’s character Sally’s head-turning display of euphoria. Portfolio envy is a lesser-known form of a similar syndrome.

May 1, 2011

3 min read