Personal Finance

Brokerage firm customer account takeover incidents are on the rise, according to FINRA, which has seen a notable increase in this type of fraud. As this threat grows more sophisticated and frequent, understanding how these cybercrimes occur and taking proactive steps to secure your accounts has never been more important. 

Many financial firms today offer both brokerage and investment advisory services. If a firm provides both types of services, you might be able to choose between having a brokerage account, an advisory account or both.

Whether you’re opening a new account or are considering converting an existing account from one account type to another, be sure you understand the differences in the services provided and fees involved. Ask questions before deciding which type of account will best help you achieve your financial goals.

Most mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) pool money from many investors and professionally invest it directly in a variety of assets based on the specific fund’s investment description. Funds of funds (FoFs), however, invest in other funds rather than investing in individual assets.

Losing a spouse is an extremely stressful life event, and that stress can be compounded by the many financial questions you might face. How you’ll support yourself, what benefits you can claim and whether you should adjust your investment strategies are just some of the choices you might need to make.

Making major financial decisions while also dealing with grief can be overwhelming. Here are some tips that can help you better navigate this difficult journey.

When evaluating which investments to add to or subtract from your portfolio, one factor that might influence your decision is whether a particular stock, bond or fund seems like a good value. But there are many ways to define the value of an investment, and these can vary based on the type of investment product you’re considering.

Here are some common methods of measuring value:

At one time, U.S. investors had limited opportunities to invest in companies that were based overseas. But today international investing is common, with investors buying stakes in firms across most of the world, either directly or through mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The chance to invest in formerly inaccessible developing markets offers fresh opportunities as well as risks.

Incidents involving mail theft-related check fraud are on the rise, which could impact individuals expecting to receive funds through a check in the mailbox. Since 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has reported a nearly 400 percent increase in mail theft-related fraud overall, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has seen an increase in reporting of these incidents by financial institutions, including banks and brokerage firms. This type of fraud often involves bad actors who steal physical checks from mailboxes or U.S.

If you’re new to investing, you might wonder where to begin. With so many choices available, the process of setting up an investment account and making your first transactions can feel overwhelming. Here are some tips to get you started.

It’s an unfortunate reality that older adults, who have had more time to accumulate wealth, are at an increased risk of being targeted by some fraudsters—and of losing more money per fraud incident. However, the risk might not affect everyone equally. In research by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, certain behaviors and characteristics were found to be associated with an increased risk of fraud victimization in older adults.