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Financial Planning Investing in Bonds: 12 of the Best Resources for Investors Are you considering using bonds as a savings tool but don’t feel you know enough about them? Are you looking to learn how bonds work and what returns you can get? Are you unsure whether to use bonds as part of a short- or long-term investment strategy? Are you perplexed by the terminology surrounding the names of different bonds? What's the Big Investment Idea? Institutional investors should exploit big-picture investment themes, such as public policy, geopolitics, demographics and emerging wealth because they have been largely underestimated, according to Watson Wyatt.

News & Insights

This Week in the SmartPros News & Insights Newsletter The Grateful Workplace ... U.S. Settles with 14,700 over Foreign Accounts ... Depreciation Deductions ... Pass-Through Entities Parents Grade Themselves 'B-' on Understanding of Basic Saving and Investing Principles New study reveals that parents see room for improvement on personal financial knowledge, with the majority feeling they could be doing more to leverage teachable moments and equip kids with financial competence. Four Out of Five Americans Say Economy Affecting Back-to-School, College Plans The rules of back-to-school shopping have officially changed: buy only what you need, check for coupons and sales before hitting the stores, and, if you can find the perfect computer at the right price, grab it! African-Americans and Hispanics Significantly Less Prepared for Retirement Than Their White and Asian Counterparts Significant differences can be found across race and ethnicity in the way U.S. employees save and invest in their 401(k) plans, according to a new study titled 401(k) Plans in Living Color: A Study of 401(k) Savings Disparities Across Racial and Ethnic Groups. Understanding Your Social Security Statement Is Essential for Disability Financial Planning Nearly one in four people in their 20s today will become disabled before reaching age 67. Knowing how much Social Security disability benefits you might expect is an important first-step in sound financial planning. Op/Ed: Valuing Funds' Private Assets If the ongoing credit crisis teaches us nothing else, it will be that good governance and transparency should never be sacrificed in the pursuit of short-term gain and profit. Businesses would be foolish to let such things happen again — and any that even considered going down that route would quickly find themselves falling foul of the corporate policemen which many investors and shareholders have become. Divided SEC Proposes Investor Access Plan Federal regulators on Wednesday proposed making it easier for shareholders to nominate directors for ballots of public companies, a change that could give shareholders more say over compensation packages for executives and risk controls. SEC Announces First Distribution from $267 Million Bear Stearns Fair Fund On May 15, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced the start of a $267 million Fair Fund distribution to mutual funds and mutual fund shareholders who were harmed by late trading and market timing that occurred through Bear Stearns, which was charged by the SEC in a 2006 enforcement action. A Secular Bear Market May Require Changing Strategy This isn't the first time the country''s faced economic uncertainty, but this is a once-in-a-generation confluence of events that have led to a severe market downturn and a ferocious contraction of the global economy. CPAs Ask 'Am I an Investment Adviser?' AICPA introduces a guide for members on SEC and state regulations for investment adviser registration. OP/ED: Growing Up Is Never Easy: The Pains of Recession Should Lead to More Mature Financial Practices Urging the country to put away childish things, President Obama could have been talking about poor spending habits. African Americans Are Optimistic about Financial Future Despite "Going It Alone" Although 58 percent of African Americans are optimistic their financial situation will be better a year from now, only one in 10 is currently working with an investment professional to help achieve personal financial goals. Fear Isn't An Investing Plan After a year filled with financial fraud, bank failures and a Wall Street that put itself before Main Street, change is overdue. So I sat down with Branham to discuss his version of financial planning 2.0. Baby Boomers Behind on Their Savings Plans Only 38% of oldest boomers are financially prepared for retirement and many have delayed plans. Working Part Time and Annuitizing Can Salvage Under-Funded Retirement When voluntary or involuntary retirement arrives, many retirees find that they don't have enough money in their nest egg to sustain their current standard of living. Majority of RIA Clients Not Cashing out of Investments A new survey of independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) shows a majority (93 percent) of RIAs say their clients are not cashing out their investments. The few whose clients are cashing out cited concern about market volatility. Financial Advisors Need to Better Gauge Clients' Tolerance Risk Getting an accurate gauge of a client's tolerance for investment risk is crucial for financial advisors and their clients - ecially when a disastrous market strikes. But many advisors are asking their clients the wrong questions. For Many Investors, Year-End Forms to Arrive Later Many investors will receive their year-end tax statements later than in past years, but these forms are likely to be more accurate, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Analysis Shows Significant Impact of Corporate Integrity on 2008 Stock Returns Analysis confirms that examining corporate integrity is the best indicator for persistent, quality market returns and was predictive of dangerous investments in 2008, one of the most disastrous investing environments in decades.

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Introducing SmartPros Legal Professional Education SmartPros Legal features the Cognistar CLE library highlighting over 150 course titles in areas such as litigation, IP, corporate/securities law, tax, labor/employment law, bankruptcy, ethics, professionalism, substance abuse, bias, and many more.