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The article discusses floating-rate demand notes, which allow corporations to sell their debt to individuals, and looks at how they have been presented as an alternative to savings products like money market funds or checking accounts. Companies such as General Electric, Ford Motor, and Duke Energy use the notes to diversify funding. The article notes that investors could lose their funds if the corporation defaults.

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 registered investment advisors (RIAs). Information is provided on how RIAs charge fees instead of commissions, how they are not required to disclose their performance history to prospective clients, and how many RIA contracts require disagreements to be settled through arbitration.

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 discusses stable-value mutual funds. Stable-value funds offer higher yields than money-market funds and are less volatile than stocks funds. Assets held by stable-value funds may include corporate bonds or annuities. However, Jeff Elvander of advisory firm 401(k) Advisors says stable-value funds include restrictions governing when and how investors may withdraw money.

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 focuses on the smart ways for investing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. It defines ETFs as mutual funds that are traded on stock exchanges. It cites the four strategies for using ETFs which include building a solid core, cutting one's taxes, making a tactical bet and fine-tuning one's bonds. Also included are the advantages of using ETFs that would give one more control over their taxes.

The article focuses on Don Whitehead, investment advisor at the financial services company Morgan Stanley, and his receipt of the Advisors with Heart Award. Topics include his work as a volunteer at the TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital, his work with people that have spinal injuries, and his work as a hand cycling teacher.

The article focuses on John G. Kulhavi, investment advisor at the financial services company Merrill Lynch, and his receipt of the Advisors with Heart Award. Topics include his work as a former board chairman of Central Michigan University, his work on fundraising for school renovations, and his endowment of the Chair of Neuroscience at the school.

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.

A chart is presented that lists registered investment advisers and those where high-net-worth individuals account for a majority of clients or of assets including GenSpring Family Offices LLC, Chevy Chase Trust Co., and Oxford Financial Group Ltd.

The article reports on investment vehicles known as bank-loan mutual funds, which buy floating-rate bank loans. It notes as of 2012 the funds offer better returns and less vulnerability to inflation than many other kinds of funds, which has led to a large inflow of individual investment. Analysts are quoted on the higher risk associated with these funds, noting they lost more value during the 2008 financial crisis than did junk-bond funds.

The article presents information on the risk and yield prospects of bank-loan funds, like the floating-rate loans. It is stated that these loans are less vulnerable than fixed-rate investments to interest rate increases, as their rates are variable. According to Maury Fertig, chief investment officer (CIO) of Relative Value Partners, bank loans are a sweet spot presently.

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 focuses on the Bank of Smithtown, a bank that performed well in 2008 and in the first half of 2009 yet experienced problems in the latter part of 2009. It recalls that while the bank appeared to withstand the financial crisis, bad loans increased as the housing and commercial real estate markets in New York went into crisis. Bad loans of the bank have reached 2.8% of its total loans come the end of the third quarter. The thin buffer of the bank against bad loans is cited as the cause of its problems.

A quiz concerning quotes from famous people is presented.

The article describes the investing approach of managers James Hunt and Francois Sicart for Tocqueville International Value. The managers use big-picture themes, such as the housing downturn in the U.S., to generate ideas, then drill into companies to assess the quality of their businesses and their ability to weather a difficult stretch. Hunt prefers Japanese and European stocks. In Europe, he likes companies connected to housing, such as French building-products maker Saint-Gobain.

The article discusses the strategies of different mutual funds. Stephen Lieber, who co-manages Alpine Dynamic Innovators with his son Samuel, believes that innovation in the finance industry is in high demand. Sequenom announced the success of its tests for a product to determine Down syndrome in fetuses. A chart showing the 20 largest stock mutual funds in 2008 is also presented. INSETS: RETURNS FOR 3,000+ FUNDS ONLINE;EXPLANATION OF TERMS.

The article features the different funds that perform well amid the increase in bond yields in 2008. ProFunds provides two mutual funds and two exchange traded funds that gain along with falling Treasury prices. The regular funds refer to the ProFunds Rising Rates Opportunity 10 and ProFunds Rising Rates Opportunity. The exchange-traded funds are ProShares Ultrashort Lehman 7-10 Year Treasury and ProShares Ultrashort Lehman 20+ Year Treasury.

The article reports on Dodge & Cox's fifth fund that will combine the best of its domestic and international funds. Based in San Francisco, California, Dodge & Cox is said to have achieved near-cult status among fund aficionados due to strong long-term results, low fees and a committee-oriented approach to picking stocks and bonds. It is cited that analysts pitch ideas for the firm's three stock funds. The Global fund will invest in companies from the existing portfolios of Stock and International.

The article presents information on the investments of Bob Auer, co-manager of Auer Growth fund. His strategy is to look at a company only if its profits are expanding at a minimum annual clip of 25% and its stock sells for 12 times earnings or less. Auer favors the metal company Thompson Creek Metals. ATP Oil & Gas meets Auer's criteria for growth.

The article gives advice to individuals on how to reclaim their good name on the Web. According to a survey conducted by ExecuNet, 83% of executives and corporate recruiters research job candidates online, and 43% have eliminated a candidate based on research results. First, people should search for their names on Google to pin-point any negative hits they would like to remove. Set up accounts at networking Web sites, such as MySpace and LinkedIn.

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 explores several ways to invest in bonds. Invest through a fund unless one is prepared to hold individual bonds until they mature. A good option is Fidelity Intermediate Municipal Income, which yields 3.4 percent tax-free. There are also appealing choices for tax-sheltered accounts. High-quality mortgage-backed securities are another bargain.

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 recommends countercyclical stocks in the market. Having more appeal than First Cash Financial Services, EZCorp's profits have grown at a 38% annual clip over the past three years, and analysts see earnings rising 11% annually over the next few years. Cash America International's Internet-based lending platform, CashNetUSA has posted a revenue of $185 million in 2007. Cash America's shares are even cheaper than EZCorp's.

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 focuses on how to invest in foreign currencies. A person could buy a foreign bond fund, such as T. Rowe Price international Bond, which invests mostly in foreign-government bonds denominated in local currencies. Run by Ian Kelson, the fund returned 9 percent annualized over the past five years to December 3, 2007 Annual expenses are 0.84 percent. He/she could also create his/her own foreign-currency portfolio by opening foreign-currency savings accounts or buying certificates of deposit.

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.

The article discusses the advantages of investing in convertible bonds. When stocks are unsteady, convertible bonds can be a refuge. Converts are securities with traits of both bonds and stocks. The idea is to earn some of the appreciation when the company's stock price rises but also to defend one's principal when the stock falls. Technically, converts are a type of bond; there is a fixed-interest coupon and maturity date. INSET: CONVERTIBLE bonds 101.

The article focuses on several bank loan funds, mutual funds that invest in bank loans, in the U.S. In its first four full years, no-load fund Fidelity Floating Rate High Income's annual returns have ranged from 4.2 to 6.5 percent. LMP Corporate Loan Fund, a closed-end fund, had 96 percent of its assets in first-lien loans, mostly made to companies rated BB. Launched in 1988, closed-end fund ING Prime Rate Trust returned an annualized 7.9 percent on assets over the past five years.

The article presents information on the Oxford Club. Investigations revealed the club's marketing gimmick, which allows members to join a secret society that lets him or her meddle with elite investors and trade stock tips with them. On the other hand, the club's semi-monthly newsletter, the "Communiqué," has performed impressively, with its portfolios gained 16% increase. Membership in the Oxford Club, which claims 65,000 members, costs $49 to $79 a year.

This article features couple Bob and Melissa Kenches and how they deal with capital gains distributions taxes. It discusses how the couple makes money from home-sales. It explains how capital gains distributions from mutual funds are taxed in the U.S. It says that the couple did not have an idea on how much taxes they owe to the government in capital-gains distributions generated from their nine mutual funds. It advises couples to pay their taxes before they are due.

The article reports on a tax-free bond fund yield of Northern High Yield Municipal. The fund, run by Jane McCart since 1998, strives to deliver a reasonably high yield that's exempt from federal income taxes. High-yield municipal bonds are usually issued to fund specific projects-construction of a hospital or college facility, for example.

The article gives advice on managing personal finances for investors in the U.S. Simplifying multiple investment funds and consolidating them into fewer accounts can result to fewer paperwork, convenience at gauging portfolios and saving additional money. An overview of online tools to help individual investors monitor spending, bill-paying and other money-management chores is presented. INSET: LET THE PROS HANDLE IT.