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 19, 2009 | Annuities, Investor Information

Have you ever wondered why investment sales representatives recommend annuity products for assets that are held in IRA accounts? After all, the number one financial feature of an annuity is tax-deferred earnings. But, wait a minute; the earnings of IRA investments are already tax-deferred. So why did the rep recommend a tax-deferred product inside a tax deferred account?
Great question. A better one is who [...]

By: Glenn Wessel, CFA, CPA, CFP®closeAuthor: Glenn Wessel, CFA, CPA, CFP® Name: Glenn Wessel
Member: Member Paladin
Quality Rating:
Email: gwessel@wesselinvestment.com
Site: http://www.wesselinvestment.com
About: After having graduated with a degree in Economics, I quickly realized that I was ill-prepared for the real business world. I read Venita VanCaspel's best-selling self-help book "The Power of Money Dynamics" and discovered that the financial advice put forth by insurers and other large institutions often ran contrary to the best interests of consumers. Emmulating the author, I earned the Certified Finanial Planner(TM) licensel. As useful as that program was, however, I was disappointed to discover that investment theory comprised a relatively small portion of this two-year program. Wanting to specialize in the investment arena, I undertook the rigorous Chartered Financial Analyst(TM) program where the topic of investments is studied in one fashion or another over the course of three years. I have worked in finance for some 20 years (even overseeing an insolvent S&L for a year in a previous banking debacle) and have taught undergraduate finance courses for Florida Atlantic University. I established an investment advisory practice in 2003 and have since obtained a CPA license to help assure that any advice I render is well coordinated with the tax code. On a personal front, I play guitar (blues) and am in the process of building a 600 horsepower musclecar (a '66 Fairlane). I enjoy riding fast sportbikes and have been a lifelong sprinter.See Authors Posts (3) | June 19, 2009 | Investor Information

Form ADV is a filing registered investment advisors (RIAs) must file with the various states in which they do business or, if the firm manages enough money, the Securities Exchange Commission. As such, Form ADV is the form advisors must use to disclose a variety of important information. If your advisor does not [...]

By: Matthew Arndt, CFA, CPA, CFP | June 18, 2009 | The Politicians, Who Can I Trust?

Once again U.S. taxpayers and investors may end up on the short-end of things. If you were not sitting behind closed doors with the Obama Administration and the lobbyists representing the financial industry to shape regulatory reform, then you are at risk of being affected by more incompetent, irresponsible legislation.
The banks are strongly resisting a [...]

By: Matthew Arndt, CFA, CPA, CFP | June 17, 2009 | Annuities, Conflicts of Interest

If your advisor is accepting commissions, guess who is paying him? Not you.  He is being paid by the company that is providing the product he is selling. This is a serious conflict of interest in the very least; it creates a situation where your best interest is not the same as your adviser’s best [...]

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 15, 2009 | Investor Information, Who Can I Trust?

A recent BusinessWeek article, http://bit.ly/Obama-finance-fix,  described the Obama administration’s backing away from necessary reforms that would protect investors from some of the financial service industry’s most predatory sales practices.
Just so you know, Wall Street executives spend hundreds of millions of dollars per year on lobbyists to influence the votes of corrupt politicians.  This massive amount of money from a major special [...]

By: Matthew Arndt, CFA, CPA, CFP | June 10, 2009 | The Politicians, The Regulators, Wall Street Ethics, Who Can I Trust?

 It is a sad day in America when you have to turn to Comedy Central for an outlet to receive critical, hard-hitting news about our economy and government. Here is a short interview with Peter Schiff, author of Crash Proof, on fixing the economy. Not only does it provide some sobering news on our economy [...]