Products May 12, 2009

Prudential Hosts Retirement Webinar for FPs

Prudential is hosting a free Webinar to help financial planners manage investor concerns about the impact of the recent stock market meltdown on their retirement portfolios.
Reported by

“Conversations About Retirement: What do your clients really want to know now?” is a 60-minute educational webinar featuring five expert panelists who will provide tips and insight on retirement planning in today’s economy. The Webinar is Wednesday, May 20, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EDT.

Prudential said the panelists and their topics are:

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  • Ed Keon, managing director and portfolio manager of Quantitative Management Associates, on whether or not this global downturn is different, where we are in the market cycle and rebuilding investor confidence;
  • David Kelly, chief market strategist, JPMorgan Funds, on the balance between safety and growth for recovery of investors’ retirement savings;
  • Patti Williams, associate professor of marketing, Wharton School of Business, on the impact of the downturn on investor psychology;
  • Marc Silverman, Silverman Financial, on how financial planners are evolving to satisfy emerging client needs;
  • Bruce Ferris, senior vice president, Prudential Annuities, on how manufacturers are changing to cope with the current investment economy and the expanded role of financial professionals; and
  • Robert Powell, retirement columnist for MarketWatch.com, who will be moderating.


To register, financial planners should go here.

The Markets May 12, 2009

U.S. Gets ‘A’ in Investing

A Morningstar study found that mutual fund investors in the U.S. have a better experience than in 15 other countries.
Reported by

In fact, the U.S. received the only overall “A’ grade in the study. However, it did not receive an A in every category.

The study measures the experiences of mutual fund investors in 16 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. Morningstar researchers evaluated and scored countries in six categories—investor protection, prospectuses and shareholders’ reports, transparency in sales practices and the media, fees and expenses, taxation, and distribution practices.

The evaluation found that the U.S. is the best market for fund investors; New Zealand scored the worst. “We hope our global study will expand the dialogue about best practices for the mutual fund investor to investment companies, distributors, and regulatory bodies around the world,’ said John Rekenthaler, vice president of research for Morningstar, in a news release.

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Below are the overall country grades from highest to lowest scores:

  • United States: A
  • China: B+
  • Taiwan: B
  • Japan: B
  • Netherlands: B
  • Italy: B
  • Canada: B-
  • France: C+
  • Switzerland: C+
  • United Kingdom: C+
  • Singapore: C
  • Australia: C
  • Germany: C
  • Hong Kong: C
  • Spain: D
  • New Zealand: D-


Why did the U.S. score so well? Apparently funds are less expensive here, for one. The United States received an A for fees and expenses. Morningstar found that the U.S. had the lowest overall annual expense ratio for its mutual funds. Most investors in the U.S. pay below 0.75% annually for fixed-income funds and below 1% for equity funds.

The U.S. also got an A in the areas of prospectuses and shareholders’ reports. U.S. mutual fund reports provide a uniform presentation of fees and expenses as well as complete disclosure of a fund’s total expense ratio history, Morningstar said.

The U.S. has a weak spot in the area of investor protection, where it received a grade of C. The U.S. lost points because there is no requirement that fund assets be kept with a custodian that is separate from the fund manager, according to the report.

The full report is available here.

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