investments advisers

Fidelity unveils systems for RIAs

Fidelity Investments, in cooperation with Oracle Corp. and Emerging Information Systems Inc., has created two web-based customer relationship management and financial planning systems for registered investment advisers, the Boston-based firm announced today.

Through a customized version of Oracles Siebel CRM On Demand, Fidelity offers advisers with automatic data management.

The new software will be integrated with Advisor CHANNEL, Fidelitys brokerage platform.

Client data within Advisor CHANNEL can now be imported into the CRM program, showing account valuations and contact information on one screen.

Fidelitys NaviPlan financial planning software, coming from EISIs NaviPlan Central program, also works with Advisor CHANNEL, allowing advisers access to Fidelitys brokerage account demographic.

private real estate investors

Medicare | Prices for 10 Top Brand-Name Drugs Under Private ...

Prices under Medicare prescription drug plans for 10 of the most prescribed brand-name medications have increased 6.8% since December 2006, while wholesale prices for the same drugs have increased 3%, according to a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee report, the Washington Post reports. Previously, Medicare actuaries had projected that drug prices would increase by 7% over the entire year.

According to the report, insurance companies that offer Medicare drug plans likely will negotiate rebates from pharmaceutical companies that amount to 4.6% of total drug costs this year, compared with 5.2% last year. Medicare actuaries previously had estimated insurers in 2007 would obtain rebates of 6%. According to the Post, a reduction in discounts from 6% to 4.6% over 10 years would result in about $17 billion in unanticipated prescription drugs costs for beneficiaries and taxpayers, with all of the additional money going to drug companies.

broker online

IL Cochran Caronia

CHICAGO, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Cochran Caronia Waller recently issued a research report titled "Broker Deals: Potential Buyout Premiums". Our findings and investment conclusions are summarized below. The Insurance Broker segment should continue to see a high level of buyout activity. The main driver will likely be increased interest from the private equity community. To date, current shareholders have reaped huge gains (40% plus) from the recent buyouts (Hub and USI). The major question is can future buyouts provide similar levels of return to the shareholders? This report contains a simplified LBO analysis that demonstrates potential premiums from current share prices for all of the public insurance brokers and resulting returns for financial buyers. Our conclusion is that premiums are still possible, but at lower levels compared to the previous deals.