Financial services companies have been promoting Social Security training as a prime means of value-added support for advisors in recent years. But how well have they been doing?
Despite all of the online tools, illustration software, client seminars and educational materials, they could be doing better.
That is perhaps the thrust of a comprehensive new survey of 600 advisors conducted jointly by Practical Perspectives and GDC Research in May.
The completed report, weighing in at 91 pages, found that while virtually all advisors have some understanding of Social Security claiming strategies — vital knowledge in an age of rapidly retiring boomers — most describe their knowledge as modest.
Perhaps more to the point, while advisors utilizing such support say its impact on new client acquisition is minimal, its value lies more in deepening relationships with existing clients.
The report found that Social Security is a mainstream concern of advisors, with more than 9 out of 10 providing some support to clients in this area. Just 8% do not do so, the remaining majority falling into three segments: those who educate their clients about the topic (26%); those who go further by illustrating scenarios and claiming strategies but do not go as far as to make specific recommendations (30%); and a plurality of advisors who recommend a specific plan tailored to the client’s needs.
Top 10 Chemical Stocks To Invest In Right Now: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)
Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By reports.droy]
As the competitive ground in dollar-stores intensifies in the U.S., the No. 3 dollar-store, Dollar Tree�(DLTR), first placed a bid to acquire Family Dollar for $8.5 billion. This created some tension among the top brass of Dollar General who placed a counter-bid of $9 billion (excluding debt) for Family Dollar ��knowing well that if Family Dollar accepted the bid, then it would become a giant with over 13,000 stores in North America with the revenue swelling to over $18 billion.
- [By Ben Levisohn]
Shares of Supervalu have dropped 8.3% to $6.31 at 2:59 p.m., within spitting distance of Goldman’s $6 target price, while competitors Family Dollar Stores (FDO) has gained 0.2% to $70.16,�Dollar General�(DG) has fallen 0.4% t0 $59.02,�Dollar Tree (DLTR) is off 1% to $59.33 and Wal-Mart (WMT) is little changed at $79.19.
5 Best Value Stocks To Buy For 2014: Schlumberger N.V.(SLB)
Schlumberger Limited, together with its subsidiaries, supplies technology, integrated project management, and information solutions to the oil and gas exploration and production industries worldwide. The company?s Oilfield Services segment provides exploration and production services; wireline technology that offers open-hole and cased-hole services; supplies engineering support, directional-drilling, measurement-while-drilling, and logging-while-drilling services; and testing services. This segment also offers well services; supplies well completion services and equipment; artificial lift; data and consulting services; geo services; and information solutions, such as consulting, software, information management system, and IT infrastructure services that support oil and gas industry. Its WesternGeco segment provides reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services; and operates data processing centers and multiclient seismic library. This segment also offers variou s services include 3D and time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys to multi-component surveys for delineating prospects and reservoir management. The company?s M-I SWACO segment supplies drilling fluid systems to improve drilling performance; fluid systems and specialty tools to optimize wellbore productivity; production technology solutions to maximize production rates; and environmental solutions that manages waste volumes generated in drilling and production operations. Its Smith Oilfield segment designs, manufactures, and markets drill bits and borehole enlargement tools; and supplies drilling tools and services, tubular, completion services, and other related downhole solutions. The company?s Distribution segment markets pipes, valves, and fittings, as well as mill, safety, and other maintenance products. This segment also provides warehouse management, vendor integration, and inventory management services. Schlumberger Limited was founded in 1927 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Smith]
A few of the compelling companies
From my perspective, the message to be taken away from Stuart's presentation is simply that, even in the face of potential U.S. economic distress, a well-structured portfolio will contain at least a modicum of energy of names. For starters I'd look to Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB ) , the world's leading oilfield services company and energy's technology major domo. Given its operations in about 85 countries, a worldwide energy cataclysm would seemingly be required for the big company to face a significant slowdown. - [By Rick Aristotle Munarriz]
Bloomberg via Getty Images You can never know in advance all the news that will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From a parade of bankers' earnings to a pizza giant rolling out a new crust, here are some of the things that will help shape the week ahead on Wall Street. Monday -- X Marks the Spot: Data storage is a big part of businesses in the modern age; companies have massive amounts of information to manage and keep secure. Xyratex (XRTX) may not be a household name, but it is well-known to corporate IT departments seeking enterprise data storage solutions. Xyratex reports on Monday afternoon. It's seen better days, and analysts predict it will report a sharp drop in revenue. However, Xyratex has been able to beat Wall Street's profit targets with ease over the past four quarters. Tuesday -- Big Banking's Big Close Up: It's going to be a roll call of the "too big to fail" banking behemoths as they step up for their quarterly results. Wells Fargo (WFC) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) kick things off on Tuesday. That will be followed by Bank of America (BAC) on Wednesday. Citigroup (C) and Goldman Sachs (GS) step up on Thursday. These are interesting times for the financial services providers. Interest rates are starting to move higher, and that may get in the way of demand for mortgages, but it will also help improve the chances that customers open and fund savings and checking accounts. Wednesday -- Tracking Trains: Railroads may seem like yesterday's mode of transportation, but rail remains a viable way to get goods moving across the country. CSX (CSX) reports on Wednesday. The provider of rail, intermodal, and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions has been shipping goods for 185 years. It offers coverage through every major metropolitan market in the eastern United States. Analysts see revenue inching up by 3 percent, with CSX's profit of $0.42 a share besting the $0.40 a share it posted a year earlier. CSX will
5 Best Value Stocks To Buy For 2014: Caterpillar Inc.(CAT)
Caterpillar Inc. manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives worldwide. It operates through three lines of businesses: Machinery, Engines, and Financial Products. The Machinery business offers construction, mining, and forestry machinery, including track and wheel tractors, track and wheel loaders, pipelayers, motor graders, wheel tractor-scrapers, track and wheel excavators, backhoe loaders, log skidders, log loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, paving products, skid steer loaders, underground mining equipment, tunnel boring equipment, and related parts. It also manufactures diesel-electric locomotives; and manufactures and services rail-related products and logistics services for other companies. The Engines business provides diesel, heavy fuel, and natural gas reciprocating engines for Caterpillar machinery, electric power generation systems, marine, petrol eum, construction, industrial, agricultural, and other applications. It offers industrial turbines and turbine-related services for oil and gas, and power generation applications. This business also remanufactures Caterpillar engines, machines, and engine components; and offers remanufacturing services for other companies. The Financial Products business provides retail and wholesale financing alternatives for Caterpillar machinery and engines, solar gas turbines, and other equipment and marine vessels, as well as offers loans and various forms of insurance to customers and dealers. It also offers financing for vehicles, power generation facilities, and marine vessels. The company markets its products directly, as well as through its distribution centers, dealers, and distributors. It was formerly known as Caterpillar Tractor Co. and changed its name to Caterpillar Inc. in 1986. Caterpillar Inc. was founded in 1925 and is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dan Caplinger]
Believe what you will about the long-term effect of the Fed's actions, but today, you can see from the Dow's strongest performers how well the market is taking the news. Economically sensitive Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) and Alcoa (NYSE: AA ) are both up sharply today as investors weigh the impact of further stimulus on the U.S. economy -- and it seems they've decided that faster U.S. growth should lead to further global activity as well. Yet that's far from a foregone conclusion. For Caterpillar, the recent recovery in gold and silver prices could spark renewed interest from mining companies for heavy equipment, but price levels remain far below where they were earlier this year. Alcoa, meanwhile, needs greater evidence not only of renewed construction activity but also of constraints on aluminum supply from its competitors, especially in China. A boost in activity could actually spur Chinese aluminum-producers to make more of the lightweight metal, extending glut conditions and hurting Alcoa's long-term profit outlook.
- [By Editor , ETFChannel.com]
A study of analyst recommendations at the major brokerages shows that Caterpillar (CAT)� is the #23 broker pick, on average, out of the 30 stocks making up the Dow Jones Industrial Average, according to ETF Channel. Within the broader S&P 500, when components were ranked in terms of analyst favorites, CAT claims the #309 spot.
- [By Chris Hill]
Pepsi's (NYSE: PEP ) �second-quarter profits rise 35%. Shares of Ford (NYSE: F ) hit a two-year high. Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) lowers guidance in the wake of a bad quarter. And Panera's (NASDAQ: PNRA ) �second-quarter profits come in lower than expected. In this installment of Investor Beat, Motley Fool analysts Matt Koppenheffer and Jason Moser discuss four stocks making moves on Tuesday.
- [By Arjun Sreekumar]
General Electric (NYSE: GE ) and Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT ) , the biggest manufacturers of locomotives in the world, are all too eager to take part. If the transition gains momentum, it could mark the most radical change in the industry since the 1950s, when diesel replaced steam as the fuel of choice.
5 Best Value Stocks To Buy For 2014: Tupperware Corporation(TUP)
Tupperware Brands Corporation operates as a direct seller of various products across a range of brands and categories through an independent sales force. The company engages in the manufacture and sale of kitchen and home products, and beauty and personal care products. It offers preparation, storage, and serving solutions for the kitchen and home, as well as kitchen cookware and tools, children?s educational toys, microwave products, and gifts under the Tupperware brand name primarily in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific, and North America. The company provides beauty and personal care products, which include skin care products, cosmetics, bath and body care, toiletries, fragrances, nutritional products, apparel, and related products principally in Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, and Uruguay. It offers beauty and personal care products under the Armand Dupree, Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo, and Swissgar de brand names. The company sells its Tupperware products directly to distributors, directors, managers, and dealers; and beauty products primarily through consultants and directors. As of December 26, 2009, the Tupperware distribution system had approximately 1,800 distributors, 61,300 managers, and 1.3 million dealers; and the sales force representing the Beauty businesses approximately 1.1 million. The company was formerly known as Tupperware Corporation and changed its name to Tupperware Brands Corporation in December 2005. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By John Kell]
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Wednesday’s session are Dow Chemical Co.(DOW), Tupperware Brands Corp.(TUP) and Yahoo Inc.(YHOO)
- [By James Brumley]
CSCO stock might be one of the market’s dark-horse stories of 2014; the dividend yield is the icing on the cake.
Dividend Stocks to Buy: Tupperware Brands (TUP)Dividend Yield: 3.2%
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