Investment News articles from January 2005

Investment News archives from January 2005

Ethan Harris, Chief U.S. economist and Henry "Chip'' Dickson, Chief strategist, Lehman Brothers Inc., New York; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Sara Hansard Assets under management: $137 billion (as of Dec. 15) Forecast: While the base forecast for 2005 isn't particularly exciting, Mr. Harris said, the interesting economic story is occurring behind the scenes....

Liz Ann Sonders, Chief investment strategist, Charles Schwab Corp.,San Francisco; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brooke Southall Total client assets: $1 trillion Forecast: Ms. Sonders said that she feels optimistic about the prospects for 2005 because many of her peers are glum. She doubts that a "huge year'' like 2003 is possible,...

Smith Barney's fee-based brokers organize; They may use their collective clout to keep elite status.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brooke Southall SAN FRANCISCO - Another elite platoon of Smith Barney financial advisers is forming a bloc that its members may use to boost their status within the firm. About 1,100 advisers at the New York-based broker are...

Vanguard exits term life business; Fidelity has no plans to terminate its effort.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: David Hoffman NEW YORK - The Vanguard Group Inc. quietly terminated its term life insurance program in November, but don't expect its biggest competitor to follow suit. Fidelity Investments in Boston will continue to offer term...

Archipelago's land grab for PCX.(Short Interests)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly NEW YORK - Archipelago Holdings Inc. said last Monday it had agreed to acquire PCX Holdings Inc., the parent of the Pacific Exchange, for $50.7 million in cash and stock. The move allows Archipelago of Chicago to...

REITs find 2004 a treat.(Short Interests)
January 10, 2005... Byline: David Hoffman NEW YORK - Real estate investment trusts have had a fantastic run, but industry experts said they don't expect the good times to continue at the same pace this year. REIT industry analysts are predicting total...

Financial firms contribute to tsunami relief; Many offer to match employee donations.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Gary S. Mogel NEW YORK - Advisers and financial services firms are coming to the aid of the tsunami victims in Southeast Asia. "I am directing my clients who are asking to give money to go to a couple of websites, give.org and...

Take my seat - please; NYSE members worried as prices, lease rates hit new lows.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly NEW YORK - One key element of Wall Street hasn't benefited from the market turnaround of the past two years: There is still a bear market in seats on the New York Stock Exchange. The price hit new lows last week,...

Experts predicted market indexes fairly accurately in 2004.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Frederick P. Gabriel Jr. BOSTON - After an appalling start, the major stock market indexes delivered a year-ending performance that came as no surprise to many of the Wall Street veterans featured in last year's economic-forecast...

Sparks set to fly in 529 biz; Executives see consolidation among program managers this year.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Charles Paikert NEW YORK - Expect plenty of fireworks from the college savings plan industry this year. The states and Washington will of course be crucibles of activity. States will be busy promoting their new disclosure...

Malcolm A. Makin, President, Professional Planning Group, Westerly, R.I. Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly Assets under management: $600 million Forecast: Mr. Makin said that an "old friend,'' the technology sector, will come back this year. He acknowledged that analysts and market observers have been making...

Craig Callahan, Chief investment officer, ICON Advisers Inc., Greenwood Village, Colo. Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Gary S. Mogel Assets under management: $3.5 billion Forecast: "I am very bullish. I think that the stock market is at least 14% below fair value,'' Mr. Callahan said. He thinks that the economy is in much better shape...

Jack Ablin, Chief investment officer, Harris Private Bank, a unit of Harris Bankcorp. Inc., Chicago; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: David Hoffman Assets under management: $40 billion Forecast: The economy will continue to grow - but not by much - because there really isn't that much good or bad news on the horizon, Mr. Ablin said. "We think that...

Amy Jensen Wolff, Owner and president, AJW Financial Inc., Minneapolis; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jeff Benjamin Ms. Wolff works with clients on an hourly and project fee basis, and therefore doesn't have assets under supervision or management. Forecast: The fact that this is the first time since 1907 that the Republican...

Bernard R. Horn Jr., President and portfolio manager, Polaris Capital Management Inc., Boston; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Frederick P. Gabriel Jr. Assets under management: $400 million Forecast: Investors looking for higher returns in 2005 would be smart to look outside the United States, Mr. Horn said. "Returns in the U.S. will continue...

Even with same sensible plan, random harvest can vary.(Other Views)
January 10, 2005... Byline: William Berg "There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture; we are controlling transmission.'' So began "The Outer Limits,'' an iconic TV show of the 1960s. That introduction gripped...

In reflecting on '04, avoid 'rear mirror' investing.(Other Views)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Ernie Ankrim Investors spent much of 2004 on the sidelines of the stock market, playing a waiting game and investing in bonds and real estate - areas of the market that they thought would deliver a high yield with a lower risk than...

Separates industry may get a reprieve; CFA Institute hints at extending compliance deadline.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jeff Benjamin DETROIT - The separately managed accounts industry can expect more time and some flexibility but not a free pass on compliance with the performance-reporting standards set by the CFA Institute. The...

CHART: International funds; The Old World's beginning to show new life.(The Markets)
January 10, 2005... See printed publication for the following: Emerging markets Europe International small-cap Pacific Ex Japan Latin America Japan

Online roadshows: Net gain for investor.(Editorial)
January 10, 2005... If approved this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission's proposed new rules for initial public offerings of stock would make it easier to use the Internet to disseminate information. The proposed rules would allow company officials...

Crazy: The clients, the planners or the course?(Short Interests)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brooke Southall SAN FRANCISCO - Financial advisers can now take a course in head shrinking without spending a day in medical school. Golden Gate University is offering advisers a 15-week course in "fiscal psychoanalysis'' so...

'Incidental advice' flap rages on; SEC expects final plan by April 15.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Sara Hansard WASHINGTON - All brokers who have discretion over client assets would have to register as advisers under a new proposal from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC also stipulated that anyone doing...

Wachovia simplifies payouts in effort to lure top brokers; Schedule is now at industry's high end.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly NEW YORK - In a move that distinguishes itself from other wirehouses, Wachovia Securities LLC last month drastically simplified its payout grid to brokers and advisers. The new payout allows registered...

Growth comeback not a given; Some don't believe hype, saying value may still have legs.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Frederick P. Gabriel Jr. BOSTON - Despite the hype and hoopla, there is good reason to be skeptical about the big "comeback'' that growth companies are supposed to make this year. After a long run-up of cheaper "value'' stocks,...

Broker disclosure on fees from insurers may be afoot.(Short Interests)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Sara Hansard WASHINGTON - The National Association of Insurance Commissioners on Dec. 29 adopted model legislation that would, if also adopted by states, require brokers to disclose the amount of compensation they receive from...

Another Social Security need: Honest debate.(Monday Morning)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Mike Clowes Social Security reform will be a primary objective of the new Bush administration, with private accounts for younger workers being a key part of the reform. Already, a great deal of heat is being generated by a...

Clients get more realistic.(Short Interests)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Charles Paikert NEW YORK - As the stock market boom of the late 1990s further recedes into memory, clients have become concerned about the future and less demanding about their portfolio performance, financial advisers said. ...

Canadian regulation gets push; Market timing scandal sparks investor lawsuit.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: David Clarke OTTAWA - In the wake of Canada's mutual funds market timing scandal, a lawsuit has been launched amid new cries for a national securities regulator. The suit was filed by five investors who claim that the $169...

S corporation ESOPs warned to mind Ps and Qs.(Tax Watch)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Mark Battersby The Internal Revenue Service has mailed letters to about 1,700 businesses and retirement plan sponsors, alerting them to new income and excise taxes that now apply to S corporation employee stock ownership plans,...

Calendar.(Calendar/Datebook)
January 10, 2005... JANUARY 12 - Educational Seminar Series 2005, Managed Funds Association. CUNY Graduate Center, New York. mfainfo.org. 18-20 - GAIM USA 2005, Institute for International Research. Boca Raton (Fla.) Resort and Club. gaimusa.com. 20...

One on One With Diana F. Cantor of the Virginia College Savings Plan.(One on One)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Charles Paikert Diana F. Cantor, executive director of the Virginia College Savings Plan, has become a leading voice for Section 529 college savings plans in general and the role of the states in particular. A lawyer and...

Market watchers see gains of 5% to 8% for stocks; Some concerned about oil, dollar and rates.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Rick Miller CHICAGO - Since 1875, the stock market has always finished higher during a year that ends in a 5. That has been the case 13 straight times. Since 1885, the market has had an average annual gain of 30.7% during such...

Diane C. Swonk, Senior managing director and chief economist, Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc., Chicago; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Rick Miller Assets under management: $10 billion Forecast: Considering what the U.S. economy has endured - corporate malfeasance, oil shocks, terrorism and war - Ms. Swonk is amazed that it has managed to hold up so well....

Sean Clark, Chief investment officer, Clark Capital Management Group Inc., Philadelphia; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Charles Paikert Assets under management: $600 million Forecast: Mr. Clark thinks that the stock market "still has pretty good momentum behind it.'' However, he also foresees challenges for the market in the middle of...

At the Bell; Lanigan leaving Fidelity's RIA group.(Late News)
January 10, 2005... S. Joseph "Jay'' Lanigan is leaving his position as president of Fidelity Registered Investment Advisor Group "to pursue other interests and opportunities,'' according to an e-mail letter written Thursday to financial advisers' clients by...

Closing Quote.(Quotes)
January 10, 2005... "You don't form a club to keep people in; you form a club to keep people out.'' Thomas M. Roginski, principal with Transition Management and Research LLC in Harvard, Mass., on the formation of the Portfolio Management Institute by...

Keeping an eye on hottest sectors, not the market.(Street Wise)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jeff Benjamin Tim Chapman doesn't bother with such distractions as the declining value of the U.S. dollar or where the price of oil might be headed next when he is helping to manage mutual funds and separate accounts with combined...

Jobs report shows mixed bag of data.(Reverse Spin)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Frederick P. Gabriel Jr. It is one of those good-news-bad-news kind of things. The good news is that the Department of Labor on Friday said more jobs were created in October and November than it previously thought and that...

Value of benefits planning is on the rise, study says; Workers wary of cost shifting.(News)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Rupal Parekh CNS NEW YORK - As workers are increasingly expected to assume more of the cost of their health benefits, employers are being pressured to enhance benefits education efforts and be more flexible about plan offerings,...

Martin Regalia, Chief economist and vice president of economic policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Sara Hansard Forecast: Mr. Regalia thinks that real GDP growth will average 3.8% for 2005. During the first half of the year, he predicted, it will be between 3.6% and 3.7%, and it will strengthen a bit in the second half. ...

Gary Wolfer, Senior portfolio manager, Univest Corp., Souderton, Pa. Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Gary S. Mogel Assets under management: $1 billion Forecast: "I see 3.5% growth in [real gross domestic product] in 2005, accelerating slightly into 2006,'' Mr. Wolfer said. The federal funds rate will edge upward, ending...

Keith Hembre, Chief economist, U.S. Bancorp Asset Management Inc., Minneapolis; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Gary S. Mogel Assets under management: $119 billion Forecast: Mr. Hembre anticipates moderate economic growth for 2005, with a slight deceleration in real gross domestic product growth to about 3%. He predicted...

Kevin J. Bannon, Chief investment officer, BNY Asset Management and The Bank of New York Co. Inc., New York; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brooke Southall Assets under supervision: $95 billion Forecast: Mr. Bannon is optimistic that 2005 could be a solid year for the securities markets, but he is keeping a close eye on jobs and the U.S. dollar. "If we...

Steve Oristaglio, Senior managing director and head of investments, Putnam Investments LLC, Boston; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Frederick P. Gabriel Jr. Assets under management: $213 billion The forecast: Mr. Oristaglio is heading into 2005 with modest expectations. While he expects the economic expansion to continue, he is bracing for slower...

Gina Sanchez, Portfolio manager, American Century Investment Management Inc., Kansas City, Mo. Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Rick Miller Assets under management: $96 billion Forecast: Ms. Sanchez predicted that equities will be "challenged'' in 2005. "Companies are going to be challenged to make profits,'' said Ms. Sanchez, part of a team...

Robert Brusca, Chief economist, Fact and Opinion Economics, New York; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Charles Paikert Forecast: Mr. Brusca said that the economy, after growing at 4.5% in 2004, will slow down this year to a 3.5% growth rate. Consumers will be more burned by debt, he said, without reviving wages. While Mr....

Edwin Vroom, President and portfolio manager, Roanoke Asset Management Corp., the subadviser to the Hallmark Small Cap Growth Fund (HEGAX), New York; Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jeff Benjamin Assets under management: $300 million Forecast: The year ahead is likely to include a mix of good and not-so-good news for the financial markets, according to Mr. Vroom. With the presidential election...

Jim Huguet, President, co-chief executive and chief investment officer, Great Companies LLC, Clearwater, Fla. Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: David Hoffman Assets under management: $1.3 billion Forecast: Large-cap-growth stocks didn't exactly produce great returns in 2004 but should perform much better this year, Mr. Huguet said. Many such stocks are...

Mark Jaeger, Managing Partner, Financial Security Group LLC, Bellevue, Wash. Prognosticators offered their forecasts for 2005.(Investment Outlook)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly Assets under management: $745 million (95% in fee-based accounts) Forecast: Mr. Jaeger is looking to become more tactical in his investment decisions in 2005 and wants to move slightly away from the long-term,...

Crazy: The clients, the planners or the course?(Short Interests)
January 10, 2005... Byline: Brooke Southall ***** Correction: In the Jan. 10 issue, the Short Interests item "Crazy: The clients, the planners or the course?'' incorrectly stated that the "Denver-based College of Financial Planning is granting 45...

New year invites fresh lookat client financial plans; Stocks' surge may require portfolio reallocations.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Gary S. Mogel NEW YORK - Advisers are tuning up client financial plans as the new year gets under way, with re-balancing client investment portfolios to account for 2004's investment results as a priority. "Clients who want to...

Move for 'inclusive community' on hold.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Rick Miller CHICAGO - A group of Illinois advisers concerned that the Financial Planning Association has become too focused on certified financial planner members pulled the plug last week on plans to form a new, more inclusive...

Southwest, managers settle with NYSE, SEC.(Short Interests)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly NEW YORK - Individuals, not just firms, continue to face the music. SWS Group Inc.'s broker-dealer unit, Southwest Securities Inc., said that it has agreed to pay $10 million to settle charges that three of its...

LTC pricing and availability may stabilize in 2005; Insurer shakeout likely to help market.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Gary S. Mogel NEW YORK - The long-term-care-insurer shakeout and fine-tuning of the pricing structure are expected to create a more stable market for the coverage in 2005, as well as blunt some of the negative press that has...

Pension funds need a fraud alert system.(Other Views)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Edward A. H. Siedle America's pension funds are being defrauded by their investment consultants, money managers, brokers, attorneys and actuaries (or collusion between those parties) because such funds lack procedures to detect and...

FPA considers planner oversight; Forming committee to study issue of SRO for industry.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jeff Benjamin DETROIT - The Financial Planning Association is forming a committee to determine whether the industry needs a self-regulatory organization. James Barnash, the newly installed FPA president, said the committee will...

Fund boards skimpy on advisers; While Putnam exec sees change soon, other observers note potential pitfalls.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: David Hoffman NEW YORK - Financial advisers are not well represented on mutual fund boards, but that will soon change, said John Hill, chairman of the board that oversees some 100 mutual funds at Putnam Investments LLC in Boston....

Fading to BlackRock; As closing nears, State Street Research is being dismantled by its acquirer.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Frederick P. Gabriel Jr. BOSTON - BlackRock Inc.'s impending acquisition of State Street Research and Management Co. is looking more like annihilation than assimilation. Of State Street Research's 365 employees, a little more...

Marsh finds it hard to say that it is sorry.(Reverse Spin)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Frederick P. Gabriel Jr. Doesn't New York Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer know that "sorry'' seems to be the hardest word? Apparently, he wants New York's Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. to shell out $750 million to settle his...

Lipper forecasts that value funds will beat growth funds in 2005; Small-caps may pass baton to mid- or large-caps, it predicts.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: David Hoffman NEW YORK - Value-oriented mutual funds, which widely outperformed growth funds in 2003 and moderately beat them last year, will "narrowly'' do better than growth funds this year, according to Lipper Inc. in New York....

New Roth IRA regs benefit older, richer Americans; Traditional IRAs with large balances particularly affected.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Rick Miller CHICAGO - The new year ushered in a new way to determine eligibility for Roth IRAs which will benefit older, more affluent Americans. While the adjusted-gross-income limit for converting a traditional individual...

How to make out best in a divorce.(Short Interests)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brooke Southall SAN FRANCISCO - Sara A. Stolberg, a financial adviser with Stolberg & Associates in Lincolnshire, Ill., doesn't write for "The Late Show with David Letterman,'' but her "10 timely tips for divorcing couples'' have...

Closing Quote.(Quotes)
January 17, 2005... "Some professions feel they aren't cool or haven't fully arrived until they are government regulated.'' Sarah Teslik, chief executive of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. Page 48.

At the Bell; Social Security phase-ins proposed.(Late News)
January 17, 2005... Changes to the Social Security system could be phased in over time so that "everybody will get more than they think they're going to get,'' Comptroller General David Walker told a gathering of employee benefits officials in Washington on...

Separate-account player shuns customization.(Street Wise)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jeff Benjamin At Chilton Capital Management LP, nobody gets too caught up in the concept of a customized client portfolio, even though the Houston-based firm manages more than $250 million worth of separate-account assets. ...

High Court to rule on Tax Court secrecy issue.(People)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Mark Battersby The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the U.S. Tax Court should continue its policy of withholding certain information from taxpayers, which makes it hard for them to challenge decisions. While the...

People.
January 17, 2005... Jackson National Life Insurance Co. in Lansing, Mich., has hired Bruce Wing, 37, as senior vice president and national sales director for life insurance products at Jackson National Life Distributors Inc. Mr. Wing, who is based in Denver, is...

Raymond James ads trumpet advisers.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly NEW YORK - Raymond James Financial Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla., this month will launch a national ad campaign focused squarely on financial advisers. Raymond James' new tag line is: "Individual solutions from...

Fidelity expands PracticeMark online marketing tool.(Product Watch)
January 17, 2005... Fidelity Investments in Boston has announced that it has significantly expanded its online marketing program, PracticeMark, with the introduction of a newly designed customization engine that lets advisers create and order a range of marketing...

Persuading clients to save for retirement.(Editorials)
January 17, 2005... President Bush is pushing for Social Security reform as a key part of his second-term agenda, but there is no certainty he will achieve it. Democrats in Congress and outside will strongly oppose his efforts to allow younger workers to...

Parents put retirement saving first.(Short Interests)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Rick Miller CHICAGO - If parents face having to choose between saving for their kids' college education and saving for their own retirement, retirement wins, according to the fourth annual Allstate "Retirement Reality Check''...

Endowment returns rose in 2004.(Short Interests)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Blecher NEW YORK - Higher education saw better returns from educational endowments for fiscal year 2004, according to the "2005 Commonfund Benchmarks Study,'' conducted by the Commonfund Institute. The Wilton, Conn.,...

CPAs seek further inroads into financial planning; AICPA sets initiatives, sees steady growth in numbers.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Charles Paikert SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Accountants exuded both confidence and optimism at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' annual personal-financial-planning conference here last week as they vowed to...

Lanigan's exit gives Fidelity an opportunity; Advisers bullish about firm's search for successor.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Brooke Southall SAN FRANCISCO - The void left by S. Joseph "Jay'' Lanigan's departure gives Fidelity Investments of Boston a great chance to consolidate its considerable gains in the business of asset custody for financial...

Calendar.(Calendar/Datebook)
January 17, 2005... JANUARY 18-20 - GAIM USA 2005, Institute for International Research. Boca Raton (Fla.) Resort and Club. gaimusa.com. 20 - Estate and Income Tax Planning, SunGard Corbel. Holiday Inn Select Downtown and Spa, San Francisco. (800)326-7235...

One on One With Milton Ezrati of Lord Abbett & Co. LLC.(One on One)
January 17, 2005... Byline: David Hoffman NEW YORK - Lord Abbett & Co. LLC in Jersey City, N.J., is considered by some industry experts to be a value-oriented asset manager. Because value has been in favor over the last few years, it is a perception that...

Financial planner CPAs get marketing pointers.(Conference Call)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Charles Paikert SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Do certified public accountants who are also financial planners make "Stupid Marketing Mistakes''? All too many do, according to the above-titled presentation by Andrew Gluck, chief...

Broker-dealers turn attention to recruiting; Sidetracked by focus on regulation in '04, they are seeking reps.(Independent Broker-Dealers)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly NEW YORK - With 2004's unprecedented focus on regulation behind them, many independent broker-dealers are looking to renew their emphasis on recruiting. Last year, however, was not a bad year in terms of recruiting...

Maginot mentality: Regulators often fail to protect the public.(Fiduciary Corner)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Donald B. Trone Following World War I, France decided to build a series of interlocking forts with state-of-the-art military hardware to protect itself from another German invasion. The defensive positions became known as the...

Volkswagen offers deal.(Short Interests)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Gary S. Mogel NEW YORK - Customers buying or leasing a 2004 or 2005 Beetle or Golf from one of Volkswagen's 43 dealerships in Illinois and Wisconsin between Jan. 4 and March 31 will receive up to $3,000 of free auto insurance as a...

1983 opt-out counties a Social Security focus; Texas workers seen to fare better in private accounts.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Sara Hansard WASHINGTON - The success of workers in three Texas counties at investing for retirement outside the Social Security system may affect the debate about privatizing part of Social Security. New calculations suggest...

Select Sector SPDRs give gift.(Short Interests)
January 17, 2005... Byline: David Hoffman NEW YORK - Select Sector SPDRs - exchange-traded funds that divide the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index into nine sector index funds - are passing their good fortune to investors. Dan Dolan, the New York-based...

Upstart aims to join indie-brokerage elite; Acquisitions moving Advanced up the list.(News)
January 17, 2005... Byline: Bruce Kelly NEW YORK - Veteran executives from a handful of independent- contractor broker-dealer firms have quietly pulled together a company that could soon be ranked among the top 20 in the industry. But an upcoming...

Adviser/fund directors? Forget it.(Editorials)
January 17, 2005... Financial advisers, as major customers or representatives of major customers and as knowledgeable investors, would seem strong candidates as mutual fund companies seek to add more independent directors to their boards. But as David Hoffman...