In the News

Fitch Affirms Milestone Treasury Obligations Fund at 'AAAmmf'

5/8/2013

Press Release — MarketWatch

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the 'AAAmmf' rating assigned to The Milestone Treasury Obligations Fund, a money market fund managed by CLS Investments, LLC.

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A Terrible Loss in the RIA Business of the Original Breakaway Broker

2/6/2013

Brooke Southall — RIABiz

Honoring one of the great unsung pioneers of the RIA business...

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NorthStar Marks 10-Year Anniversary

1/29/2012

Press Release — PR Newswire

NorthStar's ten subsidiaries and affiliate companies offer advisors unique services to help maintain independence and a competitive edge.

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The Rudd Report – December 27, 2012

12/27/2012

Lauren Rudd — WSRQ-AM (Sarasota Talk Radio)

CLS Chief Investment Officer Rusty Vanneman discusses the "Fiscal Bluff," market stability, and the balance of security & higher returns on WSRQ-AM.

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2013 Regulatory Forecast: What's on Tap for Advisors?

12/31/2012

Kenneth Corbin — Financial Planning

Over the coming year, financial regulators are expected to press ahead with scores of rulemaking proceedings that will affect advisors and their clients. Lawmakers will continue to refine and implement numerous provisions of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, while mulling the possibility of expanding oversight of investment advisors. So what will be the headline policy issues that affect advisors? Here's a preview.

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Forget the Cliff, 3.8% Obamacare Tax Is Coming

11/21/2012

Joyce Hanson — AdvisorOne

With all the buzz around the fiscal cliff and the Bush tax cuts that are set to expire in 2013, what tends to get overlooked is a tax that will definitely take effect in the new year: the 3.8% tax on investment income. CLS CIO Rusty Vanneman talks about why selling in 2012 to avoid the tax in 2013 may be overly reactionary and simplistic.

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Advisor Insights: Embracing ETF Flexibility

11/01/2012

Stoyan Bojinov — ETFdb

Senior Portfolio Manager J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA, discusses why professional money managers, like CLS, who have made the switch to ETFs continue to reap the benefits offered through these innovative investment vehicles.

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Chasing Dividends with an Eye on Volatility

10/25/2012

Murray Coleman — MarketWatch

New PowerShares ETF that focuses on stock yields and volatility is seen as novel approach, but some advisers aren't sure if such a fund can do both jobs well. CLS Chief Strategist Scott Kubie weighs in.

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Why I Own PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility

10/05/2012

IndexUniverse.com — IndexUniverse.com

Scott Kubie on why low and minimum-volatility ETFs offer a great opportunity for investors to better manage risk, better diversify portfolios, and better allocate the risk they currently have in their portfolios.

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CLS Investments Appoints Todd Clarke to CEO, Ryan Beach to President, &...

09/21/2012

Editor — PRNewswire

CLS has made a few executive changes, including promoting Todd Clarke to CEO.

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CLS Raises Its Bids on ETFs

09/20/2012

Irene Park — The Mutual Fund Wire

CLS recently named Todd Clarke from president to CEO and hired John Russel “Rusty” Vanneman as the new CIO. With both of these changes, CLS hopes to increase the number of ways financial advisors can access CLS's ETF models.

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CLS Management Changes

09/18/2012

CLS Investments, LLC — Press Release

CLS Investments, LLC (“CLS”) is pleased to announce that it has promoted Todd Clarke to the position of Chief Executive Officer. He most recently served as the firm’s President. In addition, CLS has appointed Ryan Beach as its new President and John Russel “Rusty” Vanneman as its new Chief Investment Officer.

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How to Play 'Preferred' Shares

9/8/2012

Ari I. Weinberg — Wall Street Journal

Preferred shares have characteristics of stocks and bonds, and experts see value in having a small percentage dedicated to these preferred securities. J.J. Schenkelberg, Senior Portfolio Manager at CLS, shares how much CLS invests in preferred shares.

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CLS Investments Continues Sales Team Expansion

8/17/2012

CLS Investments, LLC — Press Release

CLS Investments, LLC, is pleased to announce the recent hire of John Welch in the position of Regional Vice President of Sales...

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More Wealth Advisers Avoiding European Stocks

7/27/2012

Murray Coleman — The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch

After watching a rush by more-tactical managers to bail out of European stocks, cracks are showing in the ranks of long-term-oriented advisers willing to remain heavily invested in the embattled region.

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CLS Offers 12 New Risk-Budgeted Investment Models Via Envestnet

6/26/2012

CLS Investments, LLC — Press Release

CLS Investments, LLC (CLS), one of the largest independent third-party money managers in the country and a specialist in utilizing a long-term, disciplined approach to investing, has announced that 12 risk budgeted investment models are now available for use within client accounts through the Envestnet platform. Envestnet is a leading provider of technology-enabled wealth management solutions to investment advisors. The 12 new risk budgeted models utilize a combination of exchange traded funds or CLS’s proprietary funds and emphasize investment growth and principal protection.

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Using ETFs for Stability and Consistency

6/14/2012

Kate Stalter — Forbes

CLS Investments uses exchange traded funds—and some individual bonds—to manage the income stream for clients. Asset manager JJ Schenkelberg tells how various types of investments fit into this strategy.

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Don't Gorge on Low-Volatility ETFs

06/01/2012

Murray Coleman — Wall Street Journal

The rise in popularity of exchange-traded funds focused on low-volatility stocks comes with some potential pitfalls. While these investments lower overall risks, portfolio managers warn that relying on an exclusive diet of such specialized fare can also take a bite out of returns.

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Does Your Investment Plan Consider Risk?

5/25/2012

Kate Stalter — Forbes

The ability to bear risk is an asset that investors can capitalize on, says investment strategist Scott Kubie. He explains how his firm calculates clients’ risk budgets, and why ETFs are his preferred vehicle for achieving optimal portfolio returns.

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CLS Models are Now Available at Envestnet

4/26/2012

Envestnet — Fund Strategist Network

As of April 26, 2012, CLS models are now available on the Envestnet platform.

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ETFs for Squeamish Investors

4/28/2012

Brendan Conway — Barron's

Low-volatility exchange-traded funds are one of the ripest new fruits in stock indexing, feeding investors the most stable shares in popular equity benchmarks. But the low-volatility concept may be appreciated most when it is used on rockier shores, such as emerging markets or sovereign-debt-wracked Europe.

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Mobile Management

3/30/2012

Ann Marsh — Financial Planning

To woo young clients, advisors are increasingly using on-the-go technology. Financial planners say it's an occupational hazard: When older clients die, many planners fail to retain the heirs' business. Learning to speak in the lingua franca of the younger generation - via mobile technologies - could help keep those assets in-house.

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Trends & Ideas: Financial Advisors Interested in Factor-based ETFs

2/15/2012

Standard & Poor's — MarketScope Advisor

Scott Kubie comments on how CLS uses the PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF and other factor-based ETFs.

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CLS Investments and Meeder Financial Available to Serve as Managed Account Providers on Retirement Products

2/15/2012

Press Release — PR Newswire

CLS Investments, LLC and Meeder Financial are pleased to announce that both firms are available to provide professional investment management services to clients of Principal Life Insurance Company on its PCRP (Principal Comprehensive Retirement Program) and Principal Advantage retirement products.

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A refresher on how an advisor should approach the needs of clients as they near retirement

1/9/2012

Scott Kubie — RIABiz

The new norm is changing and it requires a mix of new thinking and old-fashioned conservative strategies.

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Mobile Apps: The Newest Must-Have for Your Practice?

1/6/2012

Mitchell, Donna — Financial Planning

There are tens of thousands of mobile applications available for the Apple, Android and Blackberry operating systems. Most industry professionals who know their mobile apps say each and every firm should have one, especially those that claim to be serious about being accessible to their clients.

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CLS Investments Launches Managed Income Strategy

1/19/2012

Press Release — PR Newswire

OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CLS Investments, LLC (CLS), one of the largest independent third-party money managers in the U.S., is pleased to announce the unveiling of its Managed Income strategy. The multi-faceted strategy is individually tailored to clients seeking reliable and consistent short- and long-term income from a risk-budgeted and diversified portfolio of income-generating assets

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CLS Investments Named Advisor to Award-winning Treasury Obligations Portfolio

2/2/2012

Press Release — PR Newswire

OMAHA, Neb., Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CLS Investments, LLC, one of the largest third-party money managers in the U.S., is pleased to announce that it has been formally named advisor to the Milestone Treasury Obligations Portfolio, a money market fund previously managed by Milestone Capital Management.

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Traditional Risk Management Prevails

8/17/2011

Markets Media — Vincent Veneziani

These days, many portfolio managers and traders tout their robust risk management systems. For some businesses, these high-cost, low-touch systems can provide a variety of benefits for midsize and larger trading operations. But sometimes, it can be prudent to get back to basics.

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Tips for Making a Video

11/18/2011

Lavonne Kuykendall — Investment News

For advisers who would like to make a video to post on their web site, experienced producers have a few suggestions to get started. Viewers like a speaker who looks natural — but it's still a good idea to practice. “Bad video never goes over well,” said Steve Biermann chief marketing officer of Northstar Financial Services Group, the parent company of CLS Investments, a professional money management firm.

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Video, Apps Essential Tools for Advisor-Client Engagement

11/14/2011

Kenneth Corbin — Financial Planning

When CLS Investments convenes a meeting of its financial advisors these days, the chances are pretty good that technology will be on the agenda. The firm, a leading independent third-party money manager, is preaching the gospel of engaging with investors on new platforms ranging from apps for tablet computers and smartphones to online video commentaries and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

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What Rising Prices May Mean for Stocks

10/19/2011

Jonnelle Marte — SmartMoney

Consumer prices rose again in September, but at a slower pace than previous months. Could investor portfolios see a boost? Scott Kubie, Chief Strategist for CLS Investments, LLC discusses the Fed’s possible response to consumer price increases.

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Long a tech innard for Schwab, LPL and TD, Advisor Software is looking to push its own brand with new product

10/11/2011

Lisa Shidler — RIABiz

CLS Investments, LLC, a turnkey asset management program based in Omaha, Neb., with 1,500 advisors managing 40,000 client portfolios, recently began offering goalgamiPro to nearly a dozen advisors. “The goalgamiPro report provides a simple, yet complete, picture of the client’s household assets and liabilities,” says Jim Anderson, chief systems officer with CLS. “We believe our advisors will find it a productive tool to support their discussions with clients regarding the priority level of goals.”

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Use focus groups to get inside clients’ heads

10/9/2011

Todd Clarke — Investment News

The business environment calls for financial advisers to be more creative and proactive in reaching clients. Focus groups are an increasingly popular tool that, if conducted right, can help advisers ramp up their marketing efforts and gain deeper insights into precisely what their target clients are seeking.

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CLS Investments Announces New Asset-Based Lending Program

8/24/2011

Reuters — Press Release

CLS Investments, a leading investment management firm specializing in delivering innovative risk budgeted strategies through multiple investment vehicles, is pleased to announce a new lending program that will allow CLS clients to use their CLS-managed assets as collateral for an installment loan. The loan program is backed by United Republic Bank, also based in Omaha.

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