CNBC posted a number of videos in which they interviewed several of the banking CEOs who were present at the meeting in Washington on Friday. Well worth the few minutes to watch.

These days, whenever the topic of social media comes up, the conversation invariably leads to a discussion about ROI and how it can be calculated to justify the adoption of these new technologies. When it comes to enterprise social networking (i.e., the internal use of blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, etc.), no one seems to have a good solution at this early stage of the game. Unfortunately, this may stop many firms from exploring the possible benefits of these tools. So what can be done to overcome this hurdle? Continue Reading »

In response to unprecedented rough-and-tumble market conditions, Fidelity recently launched a new GPS (Guide to Personal Savings) program to promote the firm’s guidance services, as we highlighted in our recent e-Monitor Update. This includes a series of free investment seminars around the country, as well as increased focus on “do-it-yourself” online guidance tools. The program stresses Fidelity’s ability to help investors through all life stages - from early savings to retirement and beyond. Continue Reading »

The recession has certainly had a major and well-documented impact on annuity providers; however, the economic pressures being felt by reinsurers have gone mostly under the radar. Insurers generally use reinsurance to back guaranteed income features on annuity products. With capital drying up due to low interest rates and plummeting equity values, insurance companies and reinsurers are in a similar bind in terms of keeping financial commitments to their clients. Continue Reading »

When people choose credit cards, factors such as credit line, fees and interest rates are usually first in mind. However, a good rewards program can be a card issuer’s way of giving customers a well-deserved pat on the back for their loyalty and spending. Unfortunately, along with lavish corporate getaways and gaudy bonuses, it appears that these programs are another victim of financial services firms’ cost-cutting, according to recent articles from CNBC and Yahoo! Finance. While these cuts may help your card issuer remain solvent, that weekend spa getaway or iTunes gift card may no longer be as close as you thought.

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February was another tumultuous month for the markets, and as the month wore on, we saw a number of firms - TD Ameritrade, optionsXpress and TradeKing - respond with new education resources to help investors weather the storm. In other news, the Wells Fargo takeover of Wachovia is progressing smoothly with new information about mortgages and an increased online statement archive. Continue Reading »

Last week, dotMobi, a Dublin-based company that specializes in innovative mobile services, announced the distribution of the first two-character mobile Internet domain to Fifth Third Bank. While Fifth Third’s platform seems to include the typical range of mobile banking features – account balances, funds transfer, pending and posted transaction information and an ATM/branch locator – the two character domain name is intriguing and sets the firm apart from competitors. Continue Reading »

New site designs are constantly being unveiled by the firms we track in our Monitor Services - that’s nothing new. What is worth noting, though, are the recent changes we’ve seen from two fund companies. Both DWS Investments and RS Investments have embraced designs that were impossible to pull off until recent Web innovations became mainstream.

These designs are not earth-shaking, but they do take a different approach from their peers and take a chance while doing it.

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Mutual fund firms frequently encourage advisors to segment their clients into groups based on assets,  and personalities. This technique serves as a first step to helping advisors find the right approach to handling investor types, as well as a reminder for advisors to spend the most time working with their top clients. While client segmentation is a sound back-office method, it isn’t very often that firms develop interactive tools to walk advisors through the process.

Oppenheimer broke the mold with their recent launch of a tool entitled Understanding Your Clients, this user-friendly tool can be found on the firm’s new advisor-only sitelet The Art of the Client Review. Continue Reading »

Personal coaching is something most people first experience in childhood. Many of us remember fondly that first little league coach, the one who taught us the self-control and discipline to wait for the right pitch. Without him or her, we may have never hit our first home run, let alone made it to first base.

Today, millions of individual investors feel about as helpless as a little leaguer stepping up to bat for the first time. Recent market turmoil has paralyzed or distracted many, causing them to take their eye off the ball and let emotion drive their trading behavior. Others have simply opted to sit on the bench until the market stabilizes. Either way, retail investors are struggling in this market. This is bad news for the brokerage industry, especially for firms that focus on active traders and rely on commissions for the lion’s share of their revenue. 

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