PLANNERS GET NEW CLIENTSTwo thirds of certified financial planners have seen an increase in potential clients as economic turbulence has increased in the past several weeks, according to a recent survey.
Twenty-seven percent of CFPs surveyed by the CFP Board of Standards reported a significant increase in potential clients, while 39 percent reported a moderate increase. When asked what actions their clients are taking with their financial plans, 78 percent of respondents said that their clients are standing firm with existing strategies; 57 percent that clients are reviewing asset allocation; 48 percent that clients are reviewing financial goals; 45 percent that clients are moving assets to lower-risk positions; 40 percent that clients are taking advantage of investment opportunities; and 37 percent that clients are rebalancing their portfolios.
Only 11 percent of the 5,261 CFP professionals polled said that the financial system rescue bill will definitely improve the economy. About 42 percent thought the financial rescue bill will be moderately successful in reviving the economy, compared to about 33 percent who said that the bill is not the right approach to reviving the economy.
About 46 percent of financial planners thought that about two years will pass before consumers see a positive impact on their financial situation as a result of the actions taken by the government. Meanwhile, 32 percent expected the lag to last between two to five years, 4 percent predicted five to seven years,
2 percent said more than seven years and 16 percent said that they were not sure.
SCHWAB BEEFS UP STREETSMART.COM
Charles Schwab has upgraded its StreetSmart.com trading platform to include bracket-order technology, customizable trading alerts and advanced charting tools.
The bracket orders for equity trades allow traders to set predefined profit and loss targets via the Web when submitting an equity order. Customizable alerts to track market activity and flag trading opportunities in charting windows and watch lists allow traders to create specific alerts to monitor different trading situations and price movements in the market. Alerts are displayed directly within charting tools and on stock watch lists to help traders actively manage risk and follow stocks.
The updated charting window increases workspace for chartists or technicians, while offering new features like volume and price alerts on charts managed from a drop-down menu.
For more, visit www.schwabat.com.
SEC TO WAIVE ADVISER FEE
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the North American Securities Administrators Association will waive for nine months the initial set-up and annual renewal fees paid by investment advisor firms to join their registration system.
The Investment Adviser Registration Depository is an Internet-based national database, sponsored by the SEC and NASAA and operated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. It offers investment advisors and representatives a single source for filing state and federal registrations and notice filings.
The system also contains the employment and disciplinary histories of more than 25,000 investment advisor firms and nearly 250,000 individual investment advisor representatives. IARD system fees are used for user and system support and for enhancements.
The fee waiver will be in place through July 31, 2009.
