Investment Instruments

Optimism among financial advisors in January was the highest it has been in months, largely based on their expectations for the U.S. economy.

The former manager of the worlds largest bond fund says the Fed needs to see a nominal growth rate of 4 percent to 5 percent before raising interest rates.

The odds of a Federal Reserve interest-rate increase as early as June rose after a government report showed payroll gains in January capped the biggest three-month increase in 17 years.

The relentless growth in TDFs is troubling, Commissioner Luis Aguilar said, especially because Americans saving for retirement lack a full appreciation for their inherent risk.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council has voted to change how it designates non-bank financial institutions as systemically important, or too big to fail.

The smart plan sponsors are now requiring service providers to frame investment due diligence not just in traditional terms, but in the new language of behavioral finance.