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The article focuses on several all-in-one funds or multisector funds in the U.S. The Loomis Sayles Bond increased 27% in 2009, and its 8.6% annualized return from 2000 to 2009 beats more than 90% of its peers. It cites that the prospectus of Pimco Unconstrained Bond enables fund manager Chris Dialynas to position the fun in such a way that Unconstrained Bond could gain approximately 3% if interest rates were to increase one percentage point. The Osterweis Strategic Income returned 8.2% annualized from its inception in 2002 through December 31, 2009. INSET: Three Moves to Make Now.

This article discusses the interest of investors in bonds in the U.S. in 2008. According to the article, while investors continue to fret about prospects for the stock market, they have concluded almost unanimously that the deals in the bond market are too good to ignore. It also notes that Treasury inflation-protected securities and high-grade municipal and corporate bonds all offer a superb balance between yield and safety. INSETS: 5 Caveats When You Buy Bonds;Your One-Stop Solution.

The article discusses the possibility that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission could compel stock brokers to meet a fiduciary standard when dealing with clients. Although such a standard would require brokers to recommend investments that are "best" rather than just "suitable" for a client, it is not clear that such a distinction could be enforced in a court. INSET: 6 Steps to Finding a Great Adviser.

The article focuses on the performance of mutual funds that invest in small foreign companies in the U.S. Oakmark International Small Cap I (OAKEX) has posted a ten-year, annualized gain of 10.1 percent. T. Rowe Price International Discovery (PRIDX) has reported a 4.9 percent annualized gain. Other funds that are mentioned are Vanguard International Explorer (VINEX) and Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index (VFSVX).

The article advises investors about several well-managed balanced funds (BF) in the U.S., which offer portfolio stability and security. One is Vanguard Wellington, which has 48 billion dollars in assets and is one of the largest BF in the nation. Another is T. Rowe Price Personal Strategy Balanced which invests in both large- and small-capitalization domestic and foreign stocks. Also mentioned are Oakmark Equity & Income and Mairs & Power Balanced.

The article presents information on several companies that will benefit from higher spending on medical care in the U.S. The author says that the massive arrival of new customers that health-care reform would bring will not exactly be bad for business. It says that as the ranks of the insured expand, Express Scripts stands to gain from the increase in drug purchases. It mentions Quest Diagnostics and Laboratory Corp. of America which are looking to expand their sales of highly sophisticated tests. INSETS: MEDEVAC GETS A LIFT;HEALTHY PROSPECTS.

The article presents a forecast regarding the performance of bank stocks in the U.S., as of November 2008. One reason to be optimistic about bank stocks is the slowdown in the decline of home prices. As a group, the money-center banks offer the biggest opportunities. The investment opportunities offered by investment banks, money-center banks and small and regional banks are discussed. INSET: Four Picks for a Packaged Approach.

The article discusses issues related to bank accounts and credit cards in the U.S. It cites the case of Ilana Matfis who was charged for ordering new checks from Bank of America. According to the article, there is little hope of restitution for some fees. It notes that the success rate for challenging credit-card fees is higher than with bank-account fees. INSET: BANK AND CREDIT-CARD FEES.

The article focuses on the momentum strategy being applied by Janet Brown in her selecting mutual funds in her "NoLoadFund*X" newsletter. Brown selects funds based on their short-term performance and ranks them by their resulting scores. The author notes that Fund*X has beaten the U.S. stock market annually since 1997, when Brown acquired the firm that publishes the letter. The article explains the momentum-based approach to fund selection.

The article looks at mutual fund investing and fund management in the U.S. as of 2013, focusing on the performance of particular fund managers including Ken Heebner, Bruce Berkowitz, and Bill Miller, managers of the CGM Focus, Fairholme Fund, and Legg Mason Opportunity mutual funds, respectively. It discusses criteria for assessing fund managers in the context of volatility in fund performance.

The article looks at the state of the global economy and offers recommendations for investors as of January 2013. It forecasts improvements in European and Chinese economic growth rates in 2013 and predicts that U.S. politicians will resolve their fiscal policy conflicts. The author cites luxury goods companies as a positive investment opportunity.

The article focuses on the increase in debt settlement companies in the U.S. between in 2010 and 2011 due to the U.S. financial recession. Information is provided on how the companies are working around consumer protection rules banning charging initial fees by classifying them as legal fees. It is noted how the U.S. Better Business Bureau has received a large number of complaints regarding the practice.

The article focuses on how many Americans will need to delay retirement due to the 2011 U.S. economic recession. Information is provided on how many people experienced a loss in their retirement funds due the stock market and offers information on how delaying Social Security payments and working longer can help build a stronger retirement savings account.

The article looks at the reaction of investors to municipal bonds. The withdrawal of investors from U.S. municipal bond mutual funds between November 2010 and May 2011 has forced a drop in municipal bond prices, allowing investors undeterred by economic forecasts to invest cheaply. The author comments on the municipal bond investments of customers with brokerage accounts with TD Ameritrade.

The article reports that large financial-services firms including Wells Fargo and Bank of America are adding staff and developing improved technology to better compete against mutual-fund company Fidelity in the market for 401(K) plans. By one estimate 401(K) assets in the U.S. could grow from $2.9 trillion in 2010 to $4 trillion in 2015..

The article presents information on the usefulness of Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS), which are issued by the U.S. Treasury. TIPS are tied to the consumer price index, and provide a means of reducing inflationary pressures in an investment portfolio. Information on how to compare them to regular Treasury bonds and how to purchase them is provided.

The article discusses the feasibility of investing in small foreign firms, and the U.S.-based investment funds that invested in such firms. Some of the funds mentioned are T. Rowe Price International Discovery, which invested in the small German semiconductor components firm Aixtron, the no-load mutual fund Oakmark International Small Cap I, and the Wasatch International Opportunities fund which invest in small companies. INSET: FOREIGN FUND JEWELS.

The article provides information on several investment schemes to avoid. A promoter attempted to launch exchange traded funds (ETF) that track indexes of Texas and Oklahoma stocks. Investors are advised against funds that claim they will beat inflation by a certain number of percentage points each year.

The article looks at retailers' stocks that investors in the U.S. might add in their best-performing stock lists. Wal-Mart Stores tops the list as it continues to create new businesses with ease. Being the largest retailer in the world it can cut costs to keep the prices of its products low. Another retailer is Amazon.com which became the world's largest online retailer that offer everything. Other retailers worth noting are Best Buy and Bath & Beyond.

The article focuses on errors in predictions and opposing views on economic trends in the U.S. On August 28, 2008, the "Kudlow & Company" television program claimed that the Goldilocks economy is back with the U.S. dollar up, oil prices down and businesses investing, but Lehman Brothers collapsed two weeks later. On July 14, 2008, Barron's said home prices are about to bottom, but the month-to-month price decline accelerated since then.

The article focuses on investment opportunities in the bond market in the U.S. According to the article, the market can expect Treasury prices to fall and yields to rise once investors get back their appetite for risk. It notes that mortgage-backed bonds are one of the safest asset classes around and yield substantially more than Treasuries. It is inferred that buying individual municipal bonds is a great option as long as one can hold them until maturity.

The article examines the reasons why Grizzly Short fund continues to profit as the U.S. financial market continues to fall. Grizzly Short is one of only two of the 10 best bear funds in the 2008 that do not use leverage to boost returns. The managers at Leuthold Weeden, the fund's sponsor, send stocks through computer models that consider everything from insider purchases to stock-price momentum. Co-manager Matt Paschke says the fund's allocation to financial stocks has been trimmed and is now 15% to 20%, down from 30% to 35% in March 2008. INSET: A BUSTED MERGER COSTS FBR FOCUS DEARLY.

The article reports on the performance of closed-end funds that sell options in the U.S. These funds employ a relatively conservative strategy to churn out exceptional yields that can rise along with market volatility. Because of broad, indiscriminate selling that began last July 2007, many closed-end covered-call funds now trade at 10 percent to 15 percent discounts to net asset value making them good buys. INSET: THE NEW GUY AT PRICE GROWTH MAKES HIS MARK.

The article discusses U.S. interest rates as of June 2013, with a focus on any plans of the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) plans to increase them. Topics include the Fed's policies of maintaining a low federal funds rate and purchasing Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's intention to end bond purchases before increasing short-term interest rates, and the economic impact that increased interest rates will have for investors.

The article focuses on investment advisor John G. Kulhavi of Merrill Lynch & Co. in Farmington, Michigan. Kulhavi is nominated to the 33rd annual Advisors with Heart awards from REP magazine. It reveals that Kulhavi has shared a motivation in large scale financial planning with a mission to volunteer and help the charitable causes for the Vietnam war veterans.

The article discusses a market research study finding that investment analysts' stock market performance forecasts were correct 47 percent of the time.

The article offers several tips on how investors can soften the impact of the changes in the taxation law in the U.S. starting January 1, 2013. It claims that the health-care-reform law mandates a 0.9% surtax on wages and other earned income for individuals earning over 200,000 dollars and couples earning over 250,000 dollars. Among the tips are selling one's assets, distributing dividends, and purchasing an insurance wrapper.

The article looks at the inefficiency and unethical aspect of investment advisors who are enrolled as the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) in the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). An example is presented in which two people Arnold and Cheryl Levy, who are in their retirement age, sued investment advisor, Jeffrey Liskov, for not giving proper information. It is mentioned that more than 10 percent of the 11,700 RIAs are facing disciplinary actions.

The article looks at the challenges faced by Americans in planning their retirement in 2011, when Standard & Poor's 500-stock index has lost an annualized 0.4 percent since 2000 and offers several suggestions to rescue from this condition. It is mentioned that only 23 percent of Americans are confident about their future savings. According to Christine Fahlund, senior financial planner at T. Rowe Price Investment Services Inc., those who can work for long period will get additional benefits.

The article discusses debt in the U.S. Although household debt has declined since 2007, debt compiled by the federal, state, and local governments continues to grow. As a result, government obligations such as Social Security and Medicare are apt to be cut. Among stocks apt to be attractive in an era of reduced consumer spending are software maker Microsoft Corp. and beverage firm Coca-Cola. INSET: Consumers Dig Out, the Feds Dig In.

The article presents the economic outlooks of three fund managers and their consequent investment strategies. Commentary is provided from Steve Romick of the FPA Crescent Fund, Charles De Vaulx of the IVA Worldwide Fund, and Jeffrey E. Gundlach of the Doubleline Total Return Bond Fund. Romick predicts higher interest rates. De Vaulx favors well-capitalized U.S. technology companies, and Gundlach recommends long-term U.S. Treasury bonds.

The article features FMI Common Stock, a company that invests in small- and medium-size firms. The company has continuously improved, gaining 33.9% from January to October 8, 2009. The investment fund also grew by 80.8% since the stock market hit rock bottom on March 9, 2009, driven by heavy investments in economically sensitive firms, such as industrial control equipment firm Rockwell Automation and Kirby Corp., the top inland tank-barge operator in the U.S.

The article reports on the performance of junk bonds in the U.S. These double-B and lower bonds increased by 41 percent year-to-date through September 4, 2009 while Treasury bonds fell by 3 percent. According to Laird Landmann of Metropolitan West High Yield Bond fund, price corrections will take place although it would not fall back to low prices.

The article reports on three exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Claymore/Beacon Spin-off, Claymore/Sabrient Insider and Powershares Buyback Achievers, that have sound investment strategies focused on the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index. The second ETF has posted earnings of 32 percent in 2009, tracking companies that have executives purchasing stocks on the open market.

The article reports that some mutual fund managers in the U.S. are recovering as their funds rebound. Bill Miller is back in the business after his flagship mutual fund, Legg Mason Value Trust (LMVTX), outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index by posting an 83 percent growth. Harry Lange, manager of Fidelity Magellan (FMAGX), has also recovered with his fund gaining 64 percent. ON the other hand, Mason Hawkins and Staley Cates of Longleaf Partners (LLPFX) are working on loss protection for their investments.

The article offers the outlook and investment strategies of the top investors in the world, which include Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, Bob Rodriguez of First Pacific Advisors and Marty Whitman of Third Avenue Management. Buffett asserted that it is better to invest in equities than Treasuries. Rodriguez suggested moving assets out of the U.S. if the government continues to realize deficits. Whitman recommended well-financed companies that do not depend on bond or stock markets.

The article provides information on the Appleseed Fund, which combines a search for deeply undervalued stocks with a social-responsibility theme. The five managers of the fund will not consider any company that deals in tobacco, alcohol, gambling, weapons or pornography. U.S. nut producer John B. Sanfilippo & Son is the third-biggest holding of the fund.

The article recommends several growth funds in the U.S. It outlines the annualized rate of return posted by the Fidelity Contrafund being managed by Will Danoff. It discusses the companies preferred by Brian Berghuis for investments of the T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth fund. It relates annualized rate of return of the Buffalo Mid Cap growth fund being managed by Kent Gasaway and Bob Male.

The article focuses on the strategy used by Buffalo Small Cap in surviving the competition with other investment funds in the U.S. It cites that a key to the success of Buffalo is the use of long-term economic and social trends to identify stocks that will be profitable in the future. Key Buffalo executives Bob Male, Kent Gasaway and Grant Sarris invested in Corinthian Colleges and ITT Educational Services to exemplify this strategy. A ranking of small-company growth funds is also presented.

The article assesses the yields provided by the S&P 500 Capital Appreciation principal-protected fund to investors in the U.S. While the fund promises a yield of at least 150% of an investor's principal in ten years and less fees and expenses, the previous decline in the market shows that such return may or may not happen. A comparison of the principal-protected fund with target-date retirement funds is presented.

The article assesses the performance of dividend-oriented exchange-traded funds (ETF) and stocks in the U.S. It reveals that iShares ETF, actively managed dividend funds and track indexes lost points during the first quarter of 2009, because of the participation of a disproportionately large percentage of big dividend players. The methodology that will be used by Dow Jones to reform the entire Select Divided index is described. INSET: A DIVIDEND FUND'S NEW LOOK.

The article discusses the recovery of municipal bonds in the U.S. after months of volatility, as of May 2009. Municipal bond prices rallied 10% from mid-December 2008 through March 6, 2009, and the amount by which yields of medium-maturity municipal bonds exceed those of Treasuries narrowed from more than two percentage points to one. Higher tax rates make the income from such bonds more valuable.

A chart is presented that shows the small-value fund index of small companies in the U.S.

The article focuses on the investment strategy of mutual fund Caldwell & Orkin Market Opportunity in the U.S. It states that the fund made some smart short sales on financial and retail stocks, and by maintaining a hefty cash position. Manager Michael Orkin uses economic forecasting, market timing and company-by-company research to come up with a list of stocks to buy and a list to sell short. Since its inception in 1991, the fund has gained 10.0 percent annualized, with one-third less volatility.

The article offers a look at significant events in the U.S. banking sector during the financial crisis. After Washington Mutual's collapse marked the largest bank failure in the country's history, JPMorgan Chase struck a $1.9-billion deal with the FDIC to acquire the thrift's banking operations and $307-billion loan portfolio. Another transformational event, Bank of America's $50-billion acquisition of Merrill Lynch, will turn the consumer-banking powerhouse into the world's largest brokerage when the deal is completed in early 2009.

The article offers a look at the stock market performance of Growth Fund of America. Growth Fund produces remarkably solid results even though assets total nearly $200 billion. The author notes that it is the only fund company that has ever come close to handling an asset base of $180 billion. Growth Fund of America is included in American Funds' 12 stock funds, which are operated by Capital Research and Management Co.

The article focuses on the success of Kinetics Market Opportunities, a financial-sector fund. The fund gained 4 percent in 2007, a period during which the Dow Jones U.S. Financials index sank 28 percent. Financial-exchange stocks, such as Nasdaq Stock Market, CME Group and London Stock Exchange, make up Kinetics Market Opportunities. In fact, eight of the ten biggest holdings, accounting for a third of the fund's $115 million in assets, were exchange stocks.

The article focuses on the implementation of stringent requirements in providing home-equity loans in the U.S. For a home-equity loan, closing costs are typically the borrower's responsibility. In states such as Nevada and Arizona, which have been affected by falling prices, loan underwriters are imposing an extra 5% to 10% off a home's appraisal when determining available equity, says Ted Rachuna, a mortgage broker in Reno, Nevada.

The article offers advice for first-time home buyers in the U.S. Jim McMillan, a senior loan officer for JP Morgan, states that a 10 percent down payment is now the norm, but there are also 5 percent-downpayment loans. The Federal Housing Administration's mortgage-insurance program gives buyers with spotty credit a better shot at approval. State and local government resources offer down-payment assistance, and getting help generally does not affect your eligibility for favorable mortgage terms.

The article reports on the performance of foreign stocks in 2007. It states that as of mid-December 2007, foreign stocks stood poised to beat U.S. stocks for the sixth year in a row. In its two years of existence, Cullen International High Dividend has used a relatively conservative, value-oriented stock-picking process to breeze past the category averages. Managers Jim Cullen and Rahul Sharma screen for stocks that yield at least 3 percent and are among the 20 percent with the lowest price-earnings ratios.