Investment News articles from November 2007

Investment News archives from November 2007

SEC looks to allow tombstone ads for private offerings; Under present regs, some small companies may be disadvantaged.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Dan Jamieson A Securities and Exchange Commission proposal to modernize regulation of private securities offerings has generated concerns from state regulators and some industry interests that it would blur the line between public...

Passing the buck: Mint pushes Peace Dollar.(Short Interests)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Aaron Siegel After unveiling its own "currency'' bearing Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's likeness this year, The Liberty Dollar of Evansville, Ind., an "alternative'' mint that has tried to print its own money to...

Late-breaking tax laws vex advisers, CPAs; Soon-to-expire opportunities are still on deck.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Lisa Shidler Financial advisers and accountants are having a hard time getting a head start preparing for the upcoming tax season, because they are bracing for major tax changes that might occur before the year ends. When...

ProShare Advisors to offer 48 leveraged ETFs; Funds will offer exposure to currency and commodities.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: David Hoffman In a move criticized by some industry experts, ProShare Advisors LLC plans to introduce 48 exchange traded funds that use leverage to provide short or magnified exposure to commodities and currencies. "I'm not a...

California advisers jump into dealings with insurers; Take on extra task of helping residents with fire losses.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Darla Mercado As California residents begin filing claims on the property they lost in last month's fires, advisers are now wearing another hat as an intermediary between their clients and the insurance companies. "We're not...

Vendors of equity index annuities look to education.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Darla Mercado Changes in product and sales practices may help offset criticism While many financial advisers continue to criticize and shun equity index annuities, insurance companies that sell the product are trying to improve...

B-Ds brace for new rule on sales of deferred VAs; FINRA to give firms six months' notice this week.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Darla Mercado A new rule governing broker-dealers' sales of deferred variable annuities is about to drop, and the firms are arming themselves to face it - but not without a little grumbling. The Financial Industry Regulatory...

Closing quote.(Short Interests)
November 5, 2007... "I think a mortgage broker who defrauds a little old lady should be taken out and shot or sent to Leavenworth to share a cell with a guy named Bubba.'' -Mark Adelson, a securitization consultant at Adelson & Jacob Consulting LLC in New York....

At the bell.
November 5, 2007... MFA to release hedge fund standards The Managed Fund Association of Washington plans to release a new set of "sound practices'' for hedge fund managers today. The standards, recommended by the President's Working Group on Financial...

Schwab's updated PortfolioCenter promises better reporting; New software version is being piloted by more than 100 firms.(Technology)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Davis D. Janowski Financial advisers who attended the annual Schwab IMPACT conference last week in Las Vegas had a chance to preview an updated version of PortfolioCenter. The remainder of the 3,000 or so advisers who use the...

UMA platform gives advisers greater choice, firm contends; ADVISORport helps them customize, PFPC says.(Technology)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Davis D. Janowski A unified managed account platform that gives advisers greater latitude in customizing portfolios for clients is being introduced today by ADVISORport, the UMA platform service of Wilmington, Del.-based PFPC...

Capital gains looming once again; Many popular funds expected to make distributions this year.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: David Hoffman Mutual fund investors will learn the hard way at the end of this year that you can never keep the tax man away for long. That is when fund companies announce taxable distributions for their funds. For some...

Merrill reps upbeat about post-O'Neal era; Show little sympathy for departed CEO.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Dan Jamieson Brokers at Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. of New York are upbeat about the prospects for their company following the departure of chief executive E. Stanley O'Neal last week. "I think we're all happy,'' said a Merrill...

Advisers oppose Rangel tax proposal; AMT fix is a tax hike in the guise of a cut, they complain.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Sara Hansard An overwhelming majority of people polled by InvestmentNews oppose the legislation to repeal the alternative minimum tax which was introduced Oct. 25 by the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles...

Solar panels on retailers' roofs could be a boon for investors; State and federal tax incentives promote the use of renewable energy.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Jeff Benjamin As interest in renewable energy continues to heat up in a movement fueled at least partially by state and federal tax incentives, the financial services industry is discovering another means of leveraging the trend:...

Sometimes it's just a gut feeling; Buying and selling stock more art than science, experts say.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Sue Asci With a strong market capitalization and bright management team in place, the stock of Wridgways Australia Ltd., a trucking and courier company, looked quite attractive to Steven Roge, co-portfolio manager of the Roge...

An after-tax approach to allocation; Making a case for distinguishing after-tax funds from pretax funds in retirement accounts.(Retirement Watch)
November 5, 2007... Byline: William Reichenstein I want to make a case for calculating asset allocations in retirement accounts on an after-tax basis. First, consider 55-year-old Peggy, who is single and believes that she will be in the 25% marginal tax rate...

EXTREME MAKEOVER; A feng shui master brings order to a New York practice.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Evan Cooper The problem: Paper, paper everywhere. The partners of Stern Slavutin-2 Inc., a 20-year-old New York-based insurance and financial planning firm, were aware they were being buried in files, forms and other records. The...

CFTC asks Congress to give it more clout; Oversight is needed to prevent fraud in marketplace, it says.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Liz Skinner Federal commodities regulators want new powers to police energy derivative trades of the sort that contributed to the collapse of Greenwich, Conn.-based Amaranth Advisors LLC last year. Amaranth lost $6 billion...

Connecticut is now the nest egg state.(Short Interests)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Sara Hansard Connecticut is the top-scoring state, and Los Alamos, N.M., is the top-scoring community, for personal-savings and investing behavior, according to A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc. The St. Louis-based brokerage firm...

WHAT'S MISSING FROM YOUR BAGUA?(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Evan Cooper Donald Trump is a believer. So, too, is Richard Branson, founder of London-based Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., as well as many executives of the world's largest corporations. What these business leaders agree on is...

On being a leader and a fiduciary; Ruminations on the similarities between investing and seagoing leadership.(Fiduciary Corner)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Don Trone When preparing to depart from a meeting or other encounter with a senior officer, it is a still-practiced naval tradition for junior officers to make the request, "By your leave, sir/madam.'' I share that tidbit with...

Adviser builds a niche emphasizing careers; Career coaching and financial advice are provided to clients.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Aaron Siegel While some financial advisory firms have placed a heavy emphasis on the equity in one's home or on constructing a strong portfolio, a burgeoning financial advisory firm south of Milwaukee places its focus on the value...

Pondering the impact of $100-a-barrel oil; Inflation fears beginning to emerge due to increased prices.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Aaron Siegel With the price for a barrel of light, sweet crude oil having surpassed the $80 and $90 marks on the New York Mercantile Exchange during the past two months, advisers have been adjusting to the idea that $100 oil is on...

Staying ahead of market uncertainty; Manager alters strategies rather than adhering to a single style.(Investment Strategies)
November 5, 2007... Byline: David A. Geller We formed Geller Capital Management LLC in March 2000 with the intention of offering clients a classic growth strategy and a hedged strategy - but that plan was short lived. Right after the firm opened, we found...

Hedge funds next target of plaintiff's bar? Products have become more retail oriented, inviting more claims.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Bruce Kelly The collapse of some hedge funds may be turning into the next cause celebre for plaintiff's attorneys who file arbitration claims on behalf of investors looking to recoup losses. And while lawyers are clearly taking...

Information under management - the new AUM; Other voices.(Viewpoint)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Matthew J. Schulte There was a time when success in the financial services industry was measured solely by assets under management. While that is still a good benchmark, it isn't the only thing advisers are keeping an eye on. Many...

Fight Michigan's service tax on investment advice; Just thinking.(Viewpoint)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Jim Pavia I have to admit that I do enjoy a good fight - not a punch-in-the-face fight but a solid, take-no-prisoners verbal battle. That is why I am closely watching the fight in Michigan over the new 6% service tax on investment...

Do-gooder investors may actually do well; Report: More studies needed to prove positive correlation.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Liz Skinner Investing in companies based on socially conscious criteria probably doesn't penalize investment performance, and in fact may help, according to a report released last month by the United Nations Environment Programme...

Assets, managers in 130/30 strategies surge; Although quants dominate, fundamental managers are making inroads.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Jay Cooper Assets in 130/30-type strategies climbed 77% during the six-month period ended Sept. 30, topping $53 billion, from $30 billion, according to a survey conducted by sister publication Pensions & Investments. And the...

Funds with redemption fees can't be QDIAs; Can't be imposed in the first 90 days participant is invested.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Sara Hansard Mutual funds that charge redemption fees will not qualify as default investments under the Department of Labor's recently announced final rules. "The final rule provides that no redemption fee may be imposed...

Fund uses various methods to generate returns; Dunham Large Cap Growth looks beyond just fundamental research.(Street Wise)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Jeff Benjamin The subadvisory team behind the $65 million Dunham Large Cap Growth Fund (DCLGX) cites a bottom-up strategy in describing how the portfolio is managed. But a closer look shows that the Seattle-based subadviser,...

529 industry deals with low awareness; Need for national ad campaign is a matter of debate.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Charles Paikert The Section 529 college savings plan industry is divided over how to raise public awareness of the product. Following a series of studies showing that at least half of all American parents are unfamiliar with...

People.
November 5, 2007... Sterling National Bank, a New York-based subsidiary of Sterling Bancorp, has hired Joseph Costanza as senior vice president of the asset-based-lending division and Patricia Hrotko as senior vice president of the marketing group. Mr....

Reviews of retirement savings growing more frequent; 74% review funds at least annually, survey finds.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Lisa Shidler Nearly three-quarters of consumers review their retirement savings at least once a year, suggests a recent survey spearheaded by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America in New York. This is promising news,...

Retirement of boomers will create market for advisers; Flow of new products is considered likely, researchers say.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Sue Asci In about a decade, when a significant number of baby boomers have retired, there will be a new market for financial advice. Meanwhile, financial advisers can look to an increasing demand for their services, a continued...

Schwab adviser assets growing at 20% pace; That is double the wirehouse rate; overall industry growth is 14%.(News)(Conference notes)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Bruce Kelly Advisers affiliated with Schwab Institutional are growing at a rate that outpaces the industry average, Charles Goldman, executive vice president, said last Monday in Las Vegas at the custodian's annual conference,...

Buyout of Nuveen may facilitate growth, add flexibility; But some say private equity also brings problems.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: David Hoffman Publicly traded Nuveen Investments Inc. expects its acquisition by a private-equity firm to close sometime this quarter. The deal, with Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, will "provide Nuveen Investments the...

Think tank: Target date funds don't do the job; Returns are held to be lower than those for other strategies.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Lisa Shidler A new white paper released by The Compass Institute LLC, a Chicago-based think tank, indicates that target date funds aren't as adequate as other ways of helping employees save for retirement. According to the...

Funds, 401(k) service providers differ on fee breakdown; Disclosures a big issue at hearings of House committee.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Sara Hansard The mutual fund industry and independent 401(k) service providers squared off last week before the House Ways and Means Committee over whether fees for various 401(k) services should be broken down in disclosures to...

Bill would shift burden, complicate taxes.(Viewpoint)
November 5, 2007... Rep. Charles b. Rangel'S Tax Reduction and Reform Act of 2007 is misnamed. It should be called the Tax Reallocation and Complication Act of 2007 or perhaps the Accountants and Financial Planners Full Employment Act of 2007. To be sure, the...

FINRA board challengers fall flat in elections; Just one petition candidate wins seat.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Dan Jamieson Outside challengers for the new board of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. made a poor showing in election results released last week. The seven industry candidates presented by FINRA's nominating...

Battle over mandatory arbitration heats up; Critics charge that arbitration is a stacked deck.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Dan Jamieson The issue of mandatory arbitration is heating up. A House subcommittee held hearings late last month on the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007, which would abolish pre-dispute arbitration agreements that are used by...

New series of indexes track top actively managed funds; Aim is to capture performance, but advisers are skeptical.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Sue Asci A Massachusetts investment advisory firm has launched a series of indexes based on actively managed mutual funds. For each index, Active Index Solutions, a subsidiary of F-Squared Investments LLC of Wellesley, used...

Energy markets make fertile ground for scam artists; Investors are warned to investigate companies and their claims.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Bruce Kelly The concern over energy is turning into fruitful ground for some investment scam artists, according to securities regulators. A combination of factors, including global warming, a worldwide demand for energy, rising...

More problems ahead from the credit crisis; Subprime woes may spread to bonds backed by higher-quality mortgages.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Jeff Benjamin Rising default rates in the subprime-mortgage market are seen as only the first wave of trouble bearing down on the overall credit markets, according to those who specialize in the securitization of various types of...

PNC's deal for Albridge raising some concerns; Any new technology coming out of a merger must be flexible and scalable, experts say.(News)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Davis D. Janowski While The PNC Financial Services Group's announcement last week that it is set to acquire Albridge Solutions Inc. was applauded by many in the financial advisory industry, some raised concerns that the planned...

IN events.(Short Interests)
November 5, 2007... Nov. 13 Adviser to Adviser Webcast: Getting the Most Out of ETFs Register to listen to our panel of advisers discuss how exchange traded funds and ETF-like products can be used to their utmost potential. Sponsored by First Trust Advisors LP...

The week ahead.(Short Interests)(Calendar)
November 5, 2007... Nov. 5: The Society of Professional Asset-Managers and Record Keepers' annual forum continues today through tomorrow in Palm Beach, Fla. The Pyxis Mobile Inc. Financial Mobility Summit 2007, which focuses on the mobile-technology needs of...

Ho, ho-hum, shoppers say.(Short Interests)
November 5, 2007... Byline: Lisa Shidler This holiday shopping season may be tough for retailers, according to a survey by Consumer Reports. "Our findings suggest that consumers are tightening their wallets this year more so than last year,'' Tod Marks,...

Prime numbers.
November 5, 2007... Go figure $16.6T: Total U.S. retirement assets at the end of the first quarter of 2007, up from $16.4 trillion the previous quarter. Source: Investment Company Institute $3B: The amount that Boston-based Fidelity Investments plans...

InvestmentNews Online Opinion Poll.(Viewpoint)
November 5, 2007... Previously, we asked you: How would you characterize the tax overhaul bill unveiled by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.? Mother of all tax reforms: 19% Mother of all tax hikes: 81% Respondents: 268...

Move over, mutual funds; here comes commingled; Sea change expected in investment choices at the biggest DC plans.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jenna Gottlieb Commingled funds will replace mutual funds in the largest defined contribution plans within the next few years, according to money managers. The change will stem from a tug of war between human resources and...

Helping one adviser market to his peers; Being a money manager, adviser and salesman is a challenge.(Marketing Strategies)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Libby Dubick Bruce Graham doesn't market exclusively to investors. The Orange, Calif.-based adviser, who operates a broker-dealer and a registered investment advisory firm, also markets to other advisers, trying to introduce them...

Fund trustees said to favor repeal of 12(b)-1s; Experts say directors aren't equipped to judge appropriateness of fees.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Sara Hansard Many mutual fund trustees would like to repeal the Securities and Exchange Commission's 12(b)-1 regulation that allows mutual funds to use fund assets to pay for marketing, a Washington lawyer who represents mutual...

Industry airheads inflated the subprime bubble; At Large.(Viewpoint)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jeff Benjamin The subprime-mortgage meltdown, which has triggered a larger meltdown throughout the credit markets, is the latest example of grand-scale faulty logic and short-term thinking. Sadly, history is littered with...

Climate change seen likely to find its place in the sun; Enough companies involved to create a distinct strategy.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jay Cooper It is time for climate change investing to step out of the shadow of socially conscious investing. More than $800 billion will pour into industries and businesses trying to solve problems related to climate change -...

DC benchmarking service setting ambitious goals; Hopes to attract 250,000 plans by yearend '08.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jenna Gottlieb Executives for Fiduciary Benchmarks Inc. have set aggressive goals for the new firm and its defined contribution benchmarking service. "I'd be really disappointed if we didn't provide benchmarks to 250,000 plans...

Managers cashing in on a volatile market; Money fund inflows have helped AUM to increase in the third quarter.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Mark Bruno Cash appears to be king after all. With institutional investors seeking safe havens during a volatile third quarter, a number of publicly traded money management companies reported significant upticks in their cash...

Identify six priorities to work through; Maintain a written list of to-do items to serve as a catalyst on days when motivation is lacking.(Practice Management)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Ron Carson In the column that ran in the Oct. 29 issue, I discussed our blueprinting process, a series of exercises designed to help you uncover what will make your heart sing. It is Step 1 along a fourfold path to the $10 million...

Insurers look to younger crowd for LTC marketing; Discounts lure buyers, but is it ever too early?(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Darla Mercado With lower costs and higher approval rates, a youthful client base of forty- and fiftysomethings is seeing long-term-care insurance through fresh eyes. But as some people in their 30s begin looking at the...

Advisers target new wave of clients: Boomer widows; Firms make adjustments to get ready for a flood.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Darla Mercado As the financial advice community reaps the rewards of working with baby boomer investors, a number of professionals are watching for a second wave of prospective clients - boomer widows. Since women typically...

Self-directed online traders found to take more risks; 56% of those in study entirely do-it-yourself.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Liz Skinner Online investors who make most financial decisions without the help of an adviser are more active traders and take bigger risks than those who seek guidance, a new study found. About 56% of investors who traded...

Multimanager approach makes inroads at Fidelity, Janus; But they still prefer single asset managers for their portfolios.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Sue Asci Although Fidelity Investments and Janus Capital Group Inc. recently designated multiple managers for specific portfolios, neither firm is abandoning their individual-portfolio-manager system. The majority of...

Top court seen leaning to Ky. in muni tax case; Advisers fear that states will continue taxing all out-of-state issues but not their own.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: David Hoffman If the Supreme Court were made up of financial advisers, there would be little doubt about the verdict of a case it is now mulling about the taxation of municipal bonds. Last week, the court heard oral arguments...

Planners are advising striking writers; Some started their guidance long before strike began.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Aaron Siegel The strike by the Writers Guild of America East and the Writers Guild of America West against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers of Encino, Calif., has put Jeff Fishman in an interesting...

IN events.(Short Interests)
November 12, 2007... Nov. 13 Adviser to Adviser Webcast: Getting the Most Out of ETFs Register to listen to our panel of advisers discuss how exchange traded funds and ETF-like products can be used to their utmost potential. This program has been accepted by...

The week ahead.(Short Interests)(Calendar)
November 12, 2007... Nov. 12: Financial Research Associates LLC holds a one-day conference on unified managed accounts in New York. America's Health Insurance Plans' Business Forum 2007 on emerging trends in health-care coverage begins today and continues...

Prime numbers.
November 12, 2007... Go figure 10%-20%: The average percentage increase in year-end incentives, which include cash bonuses and equity awards, that are expected to be paid to investment bankers in 2007, compared with the amount in 2006. Source: Johnson...

Wunderkind is back.(Short Interests)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Sara Hansard Timothy Sykes, the boy wonder investor, who turned $12,415 in bar mitzvah money into $1.65 million by trading stocks, started and folded his own hedge fund. Then he wrote a book about his experiences. Now he is...

At the bell.
November 12, 2007... House approves AMT patch The House of Representatives Friday approved a bill that would relieve an estimated 23 million taxpayers from being subject to the alternative minimum tax for a year by a vote of 216-193. The bill faces an...

Kochis Fitz, Quintile to merge; With more than $5B in assets, Calif. giant would be a top-3 RIA.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Bruce Kelly In a highly unusual deal, two top California wealth managers, Kochis Fitz Tracy Fitzhugh & Gott Inc. and Quintile Wealth Management LLC, are merging. The combined firm will manage or advise more than $5 billion in...

InvestmentNews to survey financial advisers.(News)
November 12, 2007... In partnership with Pershing LLC and CAST Management Consultants, InvestmentNews is conducting a survey to develop a report, "Broker-Dealer of the Future.'' Specifically, we are looking to assess the following: the types of clients you are...

Iceland getting back on track as place to invest; Fitch becomes more upbeat on the country's banking sector.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Deborah Nason Remote, isolated Iceland, which made headlines early last year when its stock market and currency suddenly plunged, is back on track. Last month, rating service Fitch Inc. of New York decreed that Icelandic banks...

Young green-technology companies lure venture capital; Can generate revenue more quickly than traditional firms.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Liz Skinner Young companies with green technologies are cleaning up when it comes to venture capital dollars. Venture capitalists invested $844 million in so-called clean-technology companies in the quarter ended Sept. 30, an...

People.
November 12, 2007... New York Life Insurance Co. has appointed Frank Boccio executive vice president and chief administrative officer. Mr. Boccio, 55, will be responsible for individual-policy services, corporate information, corporate services, corporate...

Integrated adviser platform exceeds expectations; LPL, expecting 600 users by yearend, has attracted 850 already.(Tech Tips)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Davis D. Janowski In a bid to expand planning services for advisers, Linsco/Private Ledger Corp. of Boston and San Diego is now offering WealthVision - a platform that includes a customized version of eMoney Advisor 360, a wealth...

Are you ready for cost basis reporting? Software firms offer solutions for what may become a requirement.(Tech Update)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Davis D. Janowski A "nightmare'' is how Shami Kaur, an adviser and certified financial planner with SK Financial Alliance in Cedar Knolls, N.J., describes dealing with cost basis issues and their tax ramifications. For...

Brokerage turmoil hits reps in pocketbook; With less on the table, more could jump to rival firms.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Dan Jamieson As stocks of the large financial services firms get hammered, more brokers could be tempted to leave. That's because wirehouse brokers have significant exposure to company stock as a result of their deferred...

SEC to `seriously consider' expanding principal-trade rule; Will think about including affiliate advisory firms.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Sara Hansard The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering whether to expand the controversial principal-trade rule it adopted in September to include advisory firms affiliated with brokers. The SEC's position concerns...

Roth 401(k) adoption, enrollment remain anemic; Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard report more interest.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Lisa Shidler Although legislative obstacles to Roth 401(k) plans have been cleared, employers and employees remain slow to embrace the plans, which allow employees to withdraw money tax free after making contributions with post-tax...

Bill Miller says it's time to buy financial stocks; Legg manager sees Countrywide as a big opportunity.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: David Hoffman It used to be that when Bill Miller, the vaunted value manager at Legg Mason Inc. of Baltimore, gave his view of the market, it would be hard to find folks who would disagree with him. However, two years of...

Your neighbor's wealth: Illusion or reality? Other voices.(Viewpoint)
November 12, 2007... Byline: William Berg In the 1969 movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,'' a relentlessly effective posse tracks the title outlaws. Butch and Sundance try various subterfuges to shake the posse from their trail, but without success....

Michigan service-tax foes gain ground; Industry groups supporting efforts to repeal 6% levy.(News)
November 12, 2007... Byline: Jeff Benjamin The momentum continues to build toward a repeal of Michigan's new tax on investment advice and nearly two dozen other random services, from landscaping to psychic reading. Just five weeks after the 6% service tax...