As the stock market has improved, more investors have shifted their concern from weathering the financial crisis to anticipating the inflationary effects of rising federal spending and debt. Many folks are asking how they can prepare for potentially higher inflation. This article explores two basic ways to address inflation uncertainty and highlights asset groups that [...]

Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. of Minneapolis has agreed to pay $17.3 million to settle charges that it received nearly $31 million in undisclosed compensation for selling its brokerage customers real estate investment trusts between 2000 and 2004, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced today…
“Few things are more important to investors than getting unbiased advice from [...]

Scrutiny of the due diligence performed by independent financial advisors and broker-dealers on alternative investments has increased dramatically, according to experts.
Regulators and arbitration panels expect member firms and their registered representatives to conduct significant due diligence and to communicate their findings to investors, said Derek C. Anderson, Esq., an attorney with the law firm Michaels, [...]