Michael Anderson's blog

The Fiduciary argument takes center stage.  Not long ago, I posted on the Obama Administration’s roadmap for financial regulatory reform.  Buried about two thirds of the way in to his plan are a few pages (specifically 72 and 73) that, as a financial planner, I believe speakRead more

There is a spectacular article in this month’s Rolling Stone. It’s called "The Great American Bubble Machine," by Matt Taibbi, and I encourage everyone to read it. I haven’t found an official link, so I would suggest a search if you can’t pick up the print version.Read more

The financial services industry needs a facelift; let's just hope the right surgeon gets the call.
 
Previously,  I wrote about how Finra (apparently the financial services enforcer of choice for the Obama Administration) is attempting to bring the SEC under its umbrella, creating a self regulatory organization (SRO) that will oversee all financial services. But with new regulatory authority in 2008, it looks like Finra wasn't up to the task:Read more

A sign in a shop reads: " IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS PAY CASH."
 
Not too far off from the truth in today’s world.
 
Available credit has tightened considerably over the last year, and now your credit score is even more important to securing loans and credit. If used properly, credit can assist your purchase of a house or car and help to efficiently manage bills. It's using credit in excess that will get you in trouble.
 
To that end, here are some tips to manage your credit properly:Read more

You want to hear a good joke? How about this one: the guys who oversaw the last market crash want more authority to regulate the rest of the financial industry.
 
For the first time, Finra chief Richard Ketchum called for adopting fiduciary standard for all advisers. “We ought to move to a single standard, and I think it makes sense for it to be a fiduciary standard,” he said.Read more