Bank Investment Consultant articles from August 2006

Bank Investment Consultant archives from August 2006

Contents August 2006.
August 1, 2006... COVER STORY 16 Creative Marketing By Howard J. Stock Most advisers don't have much money to advertise, but with a little imagination, they can generate good business on a budget. From battlefield tours to shrink-wrapped cars,...

The Hard Sell.
August 1, 2006... When it comes to brokerage, most banks still seem to be hanging onto what has become the movie Field of Dreams' greatest achievement-the cliche that "if you build it, they will come." So far, according to a report by American Brokerage...

Spousal Benefits Enter the VA Fray.
August 1, 2006... Insurers are taking direct aim at retiring baby boomers by offering variable annuity living benefits for spouses. Major carriers have fine-tuned their guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefits (GMWB) by adding spousal riders. To mitigate the risk...

Further Fund Fee Drops Are Likely.
August 1, 2006... Mutual fund fees and expenses fell last year to the lowest levels in 25 years, according to the Investment Company Institute (ICI), a trend, which is likely to continue in the years ahead. The lower fees and expenses reflect the investment...

Product News.
August 1, 2006... The American Stock Exchange has introduced AIG CriticalCare Plus. The policy covers loss of independent living and provides a lump-sum benefit of up to $500,000 upon initial diagnosis of a critical illness, including cancer, stroke or heart...

Tools & Resources.
August 1, 2006... Big Producer Interviews has launched a subscription service of weekly interviews with advisers ranked in the top 1% of the industry. The service is free of charge and offers a variety of listening formats, including podcasts for iPods and XML...

Coming In from the Cold: How a North Sea oil rigger found his true calling advising clients in a small, rural hamlet.
August 1, 2006... It's a long way from the North Sea oilrigs off the coast of Scotland to Jamestown, N.Y., a small, rural town of around 33,000 people. It's also a long way from freezing rain and 100-mile-an-hour winds to managing finances behind a desk in New...

Creative Marketing: Banks' reticence to put marketing muscle behind their reps is spurring some creative advisers to blow their own horns.
August 1, 2006... Last March, Wachovia Corp. launched an experiment in "experiencial" marketing. Targeting a rapidly growing retirement capital in Sarasota, Fla., the bank placed print advertising in national magazines such as Money, Fortune and Business 2.0, as...

Movin' on Up: Bank brokers made more money in 2005: advisers' average gross commissions rose by almost one-third.
August 1, 2006... Bank-based financial advisers outdid themselves last year, boosting average production per rep by one-third, according to a new study by American Brokerage Consultants and BIC's sister publication American Banker. This increase in average...

House Rules: Trusts can protect residential property sales from immediate tax liability, but at a price.
August 1, 2006... One of the greatest tax breaks for the average American is the $250,000 capital gains exclusion on the sale of a home. And one of the greatest testimonies to the real estate bull market now winding down is that the exclusion, which amounts to...

Measuring Portfolio Performance: Building a well-diversified portfolio is just the start.
August 1, 2006... This article is one of a series of monthly columns presenting lessons from a certificate course offered by the Investment Management Consultants Association. Looking to make sure your clients have diversified portfolios? Studies show that...

Selling in the Constitution State: Connecticut reps may find their business in different places, but they share the same goal.
August 1, 2006... Connecticut reps Jere Jordan, a Uvest financial consultant for American Eagle Financial Services in Plainville, and John Taylor, branch manager for Raymond James at Liberty Bank in Middletown, run very different businesses, but the target is...