Nearly a third of Active Traders, investors who make three or more trades on a monthly basis via a self-service online trading platform, indicate they are likely to open a new online trading account in the next six months. While this group of investors recognizes 19 online brokerage providers, only six firms have a solid [...]

For many years, the three major exchange traded fund (ETF) providers—iShares, State Street, and Vanguard—have been able to grow share by leveraging their volume, early pioneer status, and strong brand reputations. However, the ETF landscape is changing, as new providers enter the market or continue to announce their intent to offer solutions in this growing market segment.

It wasn’t long ago that many advisors avoided Putnam Investments, whether due to poor performance, lack of wholesaler support, or lingering associations with the mutual fund market timing scandals of 2003 and 2004. However, today advisors are taking a second look at one of the oldest mutual fund families in the United States.

Once viewed as a low-risk way to generate additional returns on funds, structured investment vehicles have taken some heat recently as companies reinvested securities collateral in them and they sank in value during the market downtown.

In an ironic turn of events, National distributors are the biggest beneficiaries of the 15% increase in advisor
satisfaction reported in the 2010 Advisor Brandscape. Last year, wirehouse reps were the least-satisfied group
of advisors across all channels.