By: Darren Munn, CFAcloseAuthor: Darren Munn, CFA Name: Darren Munn, CFA
Member: Member Paladin
Quality Rating:
Email: darrenmunn@munnwealth.com
Site: http://paladinregistry.com/external/beaninformedinvestor/advisor_profile.php?advisor_id=1468
About: See Authors Posts (1) | June 29, 2009 | Annuities, Bad Products & Services, Investment Performance, Investor Information

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that investments with lower fees will produce higher returns for the investor, all else being equal.  So it is natural for us all to be attracted to low-fee investments.  A simple formula to keep in mind is:  Gross Return – Expenses – Taxes = Net Return.
 But what about [...]

By: Jack WaymirecloseAuthor: Jack Waymire Name: Jack Waymire
Email: jack@paladinregistry.com
Site: http://paladinregistry.com
About: Jack writes for the InvestorWatchdog website and Worth magazine. He worked in the financial services industry from 1976 to 2004. For twenty of those years he was the president of a Registered Investment Advisory firm and a Broker/Dealer. Jack is the author of Who's Watching Your Money? The 17 Paladin Principles for Selecting a Financial Advisor and is a co-founder of PaladinRegistry.com.See Authors Posts (87) | June 27, 2009 | Illegal Schemes & Scams

Why did 11,000 affluent investors fall victim to Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme?  There are four primary reasons.
The affluent accumulated assets building companies, managing businesses and providing professional services.  They did not make their fortunes investing their assets in the securities markets.  They hire financial professionals to help them, but they don’t know how to screen and select competent, ethical advisors.  
Many of the biggest [...]

By: Jack WaymirecloseAuthor: Jack Waymire Name: Jack Waymire
Email: jack@paladinregistry.com
Site: http://paladinregistry.com
About: Jack writes for the InvestorWatchdog website and Worth magazine. He worked in the financial services industry from 1976 to 2004. For twenty of those years he was the president of a Registered Investment Advisory firm and a Broker/Dealer. Jack is the author of Who's Watching Your Money? The 17 Paladin Principles for Selecting a Financial Advisor and is a co-founder of PaladinRegistry.com.See Authors Posts (87) | June 25, 2009 | Bad Products & Services

Watch-out for mutual funds that charge 12b-1 fees.   These are legal fees that funds charge investors to recover their marketing expenses.  While the SEC does not limit this fee, FINRA caps it at .75%.
But don’t all companies pass their marketing expenses through to their customers?  Yes, but they aren’t mutual funds that are responsible for producing competitive returns for your [...]

By: Matthew Arndt, CFA, CPA, CFP | June 25, 2009 | Bad Financial Advice, Investor Information, Who Can I Trust?

Allan Roth, author of How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street, is the proud owner of Max Tailwager, a dachshund puppy and a 2009 recipient of the America’s Top Financial Planners award bestowed by the Consumers’ Research Council of America.
Roth received a letter in the mail from SLD Industries, informing him that he was named [...]

By: David HuntercloseAuthor: David Hunter Name: David Hunter
Member: Member Paladin
Quality Rating:
Email: davidhunter@horizonswealth.com
Site: http://paladinregistry.com/external/beaninformedinvestor/advisor_profile.php?advisor_id=2886
About: David Hunter has over seven and a half years of fee-only advisory experience. He has served as the primary advisor and office manager for North and South Carolina. He has a BSBA in Finance (Financial Planning) from Western Carolina University, where he currently serves on the Finance Advisory Board. David attended WCU on a full athletic scholarship to play quarterback for the Catamounts. He earned his CFP® certification in July of 2004. David was married in July 2002, to Misty, who is an English teacher employed with Buncombe County Schools. They had their first child, Sadie, in September 2008. David is an outgoing individual and enjoys working with people. What he enjoys most about Horizons Wealth Management is the true “team” atmosphere, as well, as building lasting relationships with clients. David resides in Western North Carolina where he was born and raised. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading mystery novels, and participating in sports such as golf, basketball and other physical fitness activities. David is a loyal football fan and frequently attends high school, college, and professional ballgames.See Authors Posts (5) | June 24, 2009 | Investor Information

I recently had a newspaper clipping mailed to me by a client.  It was an advertisement for a high yielding CD, safe, FDIC insured, etc…
After reviewing the "fine print," we found that it was an introductory offer of 5% for 3 months and no mention of the rates after that.  There was a $10,000 maximum limit as well.  We [...]

By: Bryan BeattycloseAuthor: Bryan Beatty Name: Bryan Beatty
Member: Member Paladin
Quality Rating:
Email: bbeatty@ebwllc.com
Site: http://paladinregistry.com/external/beaninformedinvestor/advisor_profile.php?advisor_id=1967
About: Bryan is a 1991 graduate of University of MD with a BS in Finance where he was the President of the Finance, Banking and Investment Society. He is a Certified Financial Planner TM (CFP) Practitioner and a member of the Financial Planning Association. Bryan has been assisting clients in all aspects of investment and retirement planning since 1992. An avid lifelong musician Bryan plays guitar and writes music in his spare time and occasional plays area venues. Originally from Baltimore MD, Bryan has lived in Northern Virginia since 1992. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements.See Authors Posts (5) | June 24, 2009 | Investor Information

Jeffrey Southard stole $1.83 million from clients. At the time he was working with Ameriprise then named American Express Financial Advisors where he was suspended and allowed to resign. If a prospective client checked  the registration report on this broker they would have seen in September 13, 2003 that Ameriprise "settled in the field offered unregistered securities [...]