AABP EP Awards 728x90

Insurance

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BERKO: Don’t panic – the stock market will stabilize


Dear Mr. Berko:

Before the stock market plunged, our Individual Retirement Account (IRA) was worth $343,000, and now it’s valued at $301,000. We have 22 stocks – oil and gas pipelines, electric utilities, telephone stocks, …

13390

BERKO: High-income folks got a nice Roth IRA break


Dear Mr. Berko:

A friend was trying to explain to my wife and me how doctors and other high-earning taxpayers can save $12,000 a year in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and never pay taxes …

13391

BERKO: A tip sheet for successful investors


Dear Mr. Berko:

I’ve read a few books on investing in the stock market, but they seem filled with useless information, boring example stories and futile formulas.

I have $166,000 in stocks — some good …

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Principal to repurchase outstanding stock

Principal Financial Group Inc. announced that its board of directors has approved an authorization for the repurchase of up to $200 million of the company’s outstanding common stock.

The new program is in addition to …

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Principal recognized for retirement plan communication

Principal Financial Group Inc. recently won two 2011 Signature Awards from the Profit Sharing/401k Council of America, which honor excellence in profit sharing and 401(k) plan communication and education. Principal also won three best-of-show awards …

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Regulators raise insurance exchange concerns

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) said it has “serious concerns” that the proposed rules for creating state health insurance exchanges could lead to unfair market advantages for health insurance plans that operate in …

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Indexed annuity sales up 16 percent for quarter

Second-quarter sales of indexed annuities reached $8.2 billion, a nearly 16 percent increase from the previous quarter but down more than 1 percent from the year-ago period, according to a report by Pleasant Hill-based AnnuitySpecs.com. …

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Berkshire Hathaway snaps up more Wells Fargo shares

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. increased its stake in Wells Fargo & Co., building equity holdings amid a market decline that the billionaire investor said provided an opportunity for buying stocks “on sale,” Bloomberg reported. …

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Fitch: U.S. outlook stable, for now

Fitch Ratings said today it affirmed the United States’ top-notch credit rating of AAA, giving the world’s largest economy a reprieve after it was downgraded by Standard & Poor’s little more than a week ago, …

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Liberty Bank reports $9.7 million loss

West Des Moines-based Liberty Bank reported a $9.7 million loss for the quarter ended June 30 as it charged off nearly $16 million in troubled loans and restructured another $8.9 million.

The bank and its …