Hot Financial Companies To Watch For 2014

For those who are setting money aside for retirement, the two most common choices are the traditional IRA and the Roth IRA. While both accounts have tremendous advantages over simply opening a brokerage account and buying stocks and funds, they are different from one another.

Specifically, a Roth IRA offers some useful benefits the traditional IRA doesn't. For example, did you know that a Roth IRA doesn't require you to start withdrawing money until you need it, whereas a traditional IRA has required minimum distributions starting at age 70-1/2?

Here are some of the reasons why a Roth IRA could be the right move for your retirement planning.

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Hot Small Cap Stocks To Watch Right Now: Mapfre SA (MAP)

Mapfre SA is a Spain-based holding company active in the insurance industry. It provides insurance services to businesses, professionals and individuals. The range of the Company�� products and services includes insurance policies of direct life, property and casualty, health, automotive and third party liability, among others. In addition, Mapfre SA is active in the management of pension funds, retirement plans and investment funds, as well as the provision of healthcare services in Spain. The Company is a parent of Grupo Mapfre, which comprises a number of entities active in the insurance, reinsurance, financial and real estate sectors with operations established worldwide. The Company operates such subsidiaries as Mapfre Familiar, Mapfre Vida, Mapfre Emperesas, MSG Portugal, Mapfre America, Mapfre Internatcional, Mapfre Re, Mapfre Global Risks and Mapfre Asistencia, among others. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Stoukas]

  Mapfre SA (MAP) slid 3.1 percent to 2.67 euros. Bankia SA sold a 12 percent stake, or 369.6 million shares, in Spain�� biggest insurer.

  Centrica Slides

  Centrica Plc (CNA), the largest energy supplier to U.K. homes, lost 2.3 percent to 366.9 pence. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded the shares to neutral from overweight, citing proposals from Britain�� Labour Party to freeze energy bills and break up the country�� six biggest power suppliers.

• [By Ruth David]

  Bankia, a Valencia-based bank that took state aid, did the third-biggest placing last quarter, when it dumped a 979 million-euro stake in Mapfre (MAP), Spain�� largest insurer. Bankia said the sale was a step in implementing its parent company�� strategy for the three years through 2015.

Hot Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: Guggenheim Shipping ETF (SEA)

Guggenheim Shipping ETF (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance of Delta Global Shipping Index (the Index). The Index is designed to measure the performance of companies listed on global developed market exchanges and consists of companies within the maritime shipping industry. The index provider, Delta Global Indices, LLC, defines the shipping industry to include companies within the business segments of the maritime shipping industry, such as companies deriving revenue from the seaborne transport of dry bulk goods and the leasing and/or operating of tanker ships, container ships, specialty chemical ships and ships that transport liquid natural gas (LNG) or dry bulk goods. The Fund will invest at least 90% of its total assets in common stock, American depositary receipts (ADRs), global depositary receipts (GDRs) and master limited partnerships (MLPs). The Fund's investment adviser is Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC. Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Jonathan Yates]

  Even though China is not posting double-digit economic growth like it did before, shipping (NYSE: SEA), natural gas (NYSE: UNG) and coal (NYSE: KOL) should all fear the way the leadership is positioning the country.

Hot Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: State Street Corporation(STT)

State Street Corporation, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to institutional investors worldwide. The company?s Investment Servicing business line provides products and services, including custody, product- and participant-level accounting; daily pricing and administration; master trust and master custody; record-keeping; foreign exchange, brokerage, and other trading services; securities finance; deposit and short-term investment facilities; loan and lease financing; investment manager and alternative investment manager operations outsourcing; and performance, risk, and compliance analytics. This segment also offers shareholder services, which comprise mutual fund and collective investment fund shareholder accounting. Its Investment Management business line provides a range of investment management, investment research, and other related services, such as securities finance; and strategies for managing passive and active financ ial assets, such as enhanced indexing and hedge fund strategies for U.S. and global equities and fixed-income securities. The company serves mutual funds, collective investment funds and other investment pools, corporate and public retirement plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments, and investment managers. State Street Corporation was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Monica Gerson]

  State Street (NYSE: STT) is expected to report its Q3 earnings at $1.18 per share on revenue of $2.51 billion.

  Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI) is estimated to report its Q3 earnings at $0.86 per share on revenue of $2.14 billion.

• [By Sean Williams]

  Similarly, investment management and services company State Street (NYSE: STT  ) added 4.1% in spite of a lack of news. The move does, however, come just a few days after TheStreet.com reiterated its buy recommendation on the stock. It's also worth noting that State Street Chairman and CEO Joseph Hooley will be presenting at the Morgan Stanley�Financials Conference in two weeks. Usually conferences like these allow investment firms like State Street to instill confidence in analysts, and it's not uncommon to see upgrades (and downgrades) follow these meetings.

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Yacktman released his fourth-quarter buys and sells on Wednesday, according to GuruFocus��Real Time Picks. His three largest buys are Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and State Street Corp. (STT).

• [By Jon C. Ogg]

  Two additional banks with ratings previously placed on review for a credit rating downgrade also were�included in the review: Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK) and State Street Corp. (NYSE: STT).

Hot Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: Federated National Holding Co (FNHC)

Federated National Holding Company (Federated National), formerly 21st Century Holding Company, is an insurance holding company, which through its subsidiaries and its contractual relationships with its independent agents and general agents, controls all aspects of the insurance underwriting, distribution and claims processes. Federated National is authorized to underwrite homeowners��multi-peril (homeowners), personal umbrella, commercial general liability, following form commercial excess liability, personal and commercial automobile, fire, allied lines, workers��compensation, business personal property and commercial inland marine insurance. On January 26, 2011, Federated National merged into the Company�� other wholly owned subsidiary, American Vehicle Insurance Company (American Vehicle), with resulting entity being Federated National.

Federated National markets and distributes its own and third-party insurers��products and its other services through a network of independent agents. The Company also utilize a select number of general agents for the same purpose. During 2010, the Company processed property and liability claims stemming from its homeowners�� commercial general liability and private passenger automobile lines of business. Through contractual relationships with a network of approximately 4,200 independent agents, of which approximately 400 sell and service its products, Federated National is authorized to underwrite homeowners�� fire, allied lines and personal automobile insurance in Florida.

American Vehicle is licensed as an admitted carrier in Florida, and underwrites commercial general liability, and personal and commercial automobile insurance. American Vehicle is also licensed as an admitted carrier in Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Texas, and underwrites commercial general liability insurance in those states. American Vehicle operates as a non-admitted carrier in Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, South ! Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, and can underwrite commercial general liability insurance in all of these states. During 2010, 79.7%, 12.3%, 4.1% and 3.9% of the premiums the Company underwrote were for homeowners�� commercial general liability, federal flood, and personal automobile insurance, respectively. Federated National internally processes claims made by its insured through its wholly owned claims adjusting company, Superior Adjusting, Inc. (Superior). It also offers premium financing to its own and third-party insured through its wholly owned subsidiary, Federated Premium Finance, Inc. (Federated Premium).

Homeowners��Property and Casualty Insurance

Federated National underwrites homeowners��insurance primarily in the South, West and Central Florida regions. Homeowners��insurance protects an owner of real and personal property against covered causes of loss to that property. The Company�� homeowner insurance products provide maximum dwelling coverage in the amount of approximately $0.8 million, with the aggregate maximum policy limit being approximately $1.5 million. Premium rates are regulated and approved by the Florida OIR.

Commercial Residential Property Insurance

The Florida OIR has granted Federated National the authority to write commercial residential property insurance under the fire line of business. This class of business affords property coverage primarily to associations with property commonly owned by the tenants of the association. Aggregate policy limits ranged between $1.0 million and $20 million. Additionally, Federated National has secured automatic facultative reinsurance for insured values up to $10 million with permission to individually submit attractive risks greater than $10 million to its reinsurers for quote and binding authority.

Commercial General Liability and Inland Marine

The Company underwrite commercial general liability insurance for approximately 350 classes of artisan ! (excludin! g home-builders and developers) and mercantile trades (such as owners, landlords and tenants). The limits of liability range from $100,000 per occurrence with a $200,000 policy aggregate to $1 million per occurrence with a $2 million policy aggregate. The Company markets the commercial general liability insurance products through independent agents and a limited number of general agencies unaffiliated with the Company.

Personal Automobile

Personal automobile insurance markets can be divided into two categories: standard automobile and nonstandard automobile. Standard personal automobile insurance is provided to insureds who present an average risk profile in terms of driving record, vehicle type and other factors. Nonstandard personal automobile insurance is provided to insureds that are unable to obtain standard insurance coverage because of their driving record, age, vehicle type or other factors, including market conditions. During 2010, the average annual premium on policies was approximately $1,325, and the nonstandard personal automobile insurance lines represented 100% of its written premiums for personal automobile insurance. Federated National underwrites new and renewal policies for this coverage on primarily an annual basis and to a much lesser extent, on a semi-annual basis. American Vehicle underwrites standard personal automobile insurance policies.

Flood

Federated National writes flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The Company writes the policy for the NFIP, which assumes 100% of the flood risk while it retains a commission for its service. The average flood policy premium is approximately $570 with limits up to $250,000.

Assurance MGA

Assurance MGA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Federated National, acts as Federated National�� and American Vehicle�� exclusive managing general agent in the state of Florida and is also licensed as a managing general agent in the states of Al! abama, Ar! kansas, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Assurance MGA has contracted with several unaffiliated insurance companies to sell commercial general liability, workers compensation, personal umbrella and inland marine insurance through Assurance MGA�� existing network of agents. Assurance MGA earns commissions and fees for providing policy administration, marketing, accounting and analytical services, and for participating in the negotiation of reinsurance contracts. The homeowner policy provides Assurance MGA the right to cancel any policy within a period of 90 days from the policy's inception with 25 days��notice, or after 90 days from policy inception with 95 days��notice, even if the risk falls within its underwriting criteria.

Superior

Superior processes claims made by insured from Federated National and American Vehicle. Its agents have no authority to settle claims or otherwise exercise control over the claims process. Federated National also employs an in-house legal department to manage claims-related litigation and to monitor its claims handling practices for compliance.

Federated Premium

Federated Premium provides premium financing to Federated National's, American Vehicle�� and third-party�� insureds. Premium financing has been marketed through the Company�� distribution network of general agents and independent agents. Premiums for property and casualty insurance, in certain circumstances, are payable at the time a policy is placed in- force or renewed. Federated Premium's services allow the insured to pay a portion of the premium when the policy is placed in-force and the balance in monthly installments over a specified term, between six and nine months.

Insure-Link, Inc. (Insure-Link)

Insure-Link serves as an independent insurance agency. The insurance agency markets direct to the public to provide a variety of in! surance p! roducts and services to individual clients, as well as business clients, by offering a line of insurance products, including, but not limited to, homeowners�� personal and commercial automobile, commercial general liability and workers��compensation insurance through their agency appointments with over fifty different carriers. There were no other agency relationships with affiliated captive or franchised agents during 2010.

The Company competes with Castle Key (formerly Allstate Floridian) Indemnity Insurance Company, Fidelity National Insurance Company, Universal Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Royal Palm Insurance Company, St. Johns Insurance Company, Cypress Property and Casualty Insurance Company, American Strategic Insurance Company, Century Surety Insurance Company, Atlantic Casualty Insurance Company, Colony Insurance Company, Burlington/First Financial Insurance Companies, Kingsway Amigo Insurance Company, United Automobile Insurance Company, Direct General Insurance Company, Ocean Harbor Insurance Company, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, and GEICO.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Damian Illia]

  As we can see, the firm ratio is higher than the ones shown by Alleghany, Fidelity, Federated National Holding Co. (FNHC) and Global Indemnity Plc (GBLI).

Hot Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: Fifth Street Senior Floating Rate Corp (FSFR)

Fifth Street Senior Floating Rate Corp., incorporated on May 22, 2013, is a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The Company investment objective is to maximize the Company�� portfolio�� total return by generating income from its debt investments while seeking to preserve its capital. The Company intends to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in senior secured loans, including first lien, unitranche and second lien debt instruments, that pay interest at rates, which are determined periodically on the basis of a floating base lending rate, made to private middle market companies whose debt is rated below investment grade, which the Company refer to collectively as senior loans. The Company�� investment adviser is Fifth Street Management.

The Company may also invest in senior unsecured loans issued by private middle market companies and, to a lesser extent, subordinated loans issued by private middle market companies and senior and subordinated loans issued by public companies. Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of the value of its net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes will be invested in floating rate senior loans. Senior loans pay interest at rates, which are determined periodically on the basis of the London-Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus a premium. Senior loans in which the Company expects to invest are made to United States and, to a limited extent, non- United States corporations, partnerships and other business entities which operate in various industries and geographical regions.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Marc Bastow]

  Management investment company Fifth Street Senior Floating Rate Corp. (FSFR) raised its quarterly dividend 15% to 23 cents per share, payable April 15 to shareholders of record as of March 31.
  FSFR Stock�Dividend Yield: 6.88%

Hot Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: Government Properties Income Trust (GOV)

Government Properties Income Trust (GOV) is a real estate investment trust (REIT). As of December 31, 2011, GOV owned 71 properties located in 29 states and the District of Columbia containing approximately 9.0 million rentable square feet, of which 68.2% was leased to the United States Government, 17.5% was leased to eight state governments, and 2.1% was leased to the United Nations, an international intergovernmental organization. As of December 31, 2011, the United States Government, eight state governments and the United Nations combined were responsible for 91.9% of the Company�� annualized rental income. As of December 31, 2011, 95.0% of its rentable square feet were leased. During the year ended December 31, 2011, it acquired 16 office properties located in 11 states. The Company�� manager is Reit Management & Research LLC (RMR).

In December 2011, GOV acquired an office property located in Salem, Oregon with 233,358 rentable square feet. This property is 84% leased to five tenants, of which 70% is leased to the State of Oregon and occupied by the Oregon Department of Human Services, the Oregon Department of Justice and the Oregon Employment Department. In October 2011, the Company acquired three office properties located in Indianapolis, Indiana with 433,927 rentable square feet. These properties are 94% leased to 15 tenants, of which 56% is leased to the United States Government and occupied by the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency. In September 2011, the Company acquired an office property located in Sacramento, California with 87,863 rentable square feet. This property is 100% leased to the State of California and occupied by the California State Employment Development Department and it also acquired an office property located in Atlanta, Georgia with 375,805 rentable square feet. This property is 97% leased to 19 tenants, of which 78% is leased to the State of Georgia and occupied by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

In August 2011, GO! V acquired an office property located in Holtsville, New York with 264,482 rentable square feet. This property is 82% leased to three tenants, of which 72% is leased to the United States Government and occupied by the Internal Revenue Service and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. In June 2011, the Company acquired an office property located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with 29,297 rentable square feet. This property is 100% leased to the United States Government and occupied by the Military Entrance Processing Station and it also acquired two office properties located in Stafford, Virginia with 64,488 rentable square feet. These properties are 100% leased to the United States Government and occupied by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In June 2011, it acquired an office property located in Montgomery, Alabama with 57,815 rentable square feet. This property is 100% leased to the United States Government and serves as the office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.

In May 2011, GOV acquired an office property located in Plantation, Florida with 135,819 rentable square feet. This property is 100% leased to the United States Government and occupied by the Internal Revenue Service and it also acquired an office property located in New York with 187,060 rentable square feet. This property is 100% leased to the United Nations. In February 2011, the Company acquired an office property located in Quincy, Massachusetts with 92,549 rentable square feet. This property is 100% leased to four tenants, of which 90% is leased to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and occupied by the Registry of Motor Vehicles as its headquarters. In February 2011, it acquired two office properties located in Woodlawn, Maryland with 182,561 rentable square feet. These properties are 100% leased to two tenants, of which 94% is leased to the United States Government and occupied by the Social Security Administration.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Government Properties Income Trust (NYSE: GOV  ) has decided to keep its dividend steady. The company announced it will pay a fresh quarterly distribution of $0.43 per share of its common stock "on or about" May 24 to shareholders of record as of April 26. That amount matches the REIT's preceding two payouts, the most recent of which was handed down in January. Before that, the company paid $0.42 per share.

Hot Financial Companies To Watch For 2014: Taylor Capital Group Inc.(TAYC)

Taylor Capital Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Cole Taylor Bank that provides a range of commercial banking products and services primarily to closely-held commercial customers and their owner operators in the Chicago area. It offers various deposit products, including checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits, and other deposit and credit services to commercial clients and community-based customers, including individuals and small local businesses. The company?s commercial lending activities primarily consist of providing loans for working capital and business expansion or acquisition; owner-occupied commercial real estate financing; revolving lines of credit; and stand-by and commercial letters of credit. It also originates and sells mortgage loans. In addition, the company provides treasury cash management services, including repurchase agreements, Internet balance reporting, remote deposit capture, positive pay, automa ted clearing house products, imaged lock-box processing, controlled disbursement, and account reconciliation services to commercial clients; and investment management and brokerage services. Further, it offers asset-based financing, including revolving lines of credit supported by receivables and inventory; and term loans supported by equipment and real estate. The company?s target commercial lending customers include businesses engaged in various industries, such as manufacturing, wholesale and retail distribution, transportation, construction contracting, and professional services. It operates through nine banking centers in the Chicago area. The company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Sean Williams]

  What: Shares of Taylor Capital (NASDAQ: TAYC  ) , the holding company of Cole Taylor Bank, a commercial and consumer lending and financial services company located in the Chicago area, skyrocketed as much as 22% after agreeing to be purchased by MB Financial (NASDAQ: MBFI  ) .

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Commercial banking concern Taylor Capital Group (NASDAQ: TAYC  ) announced yesterday its third-quarter dividend of $0.50 per share on its�Series A perpetual non-cumulative preferred stock, which trades on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol TAYCO.

• [By Rich Duprey]

  Looking to expand its banking business in the Windy City, MB Financial (NASDAQ: MBFI  ) jointly announced with Taylor Capital (NASDAQ: TAYC  ) that it was buying the�holding company of�Cole Taylor�Bank, a Chicago-based commercial bank with $5.9 billion in assets, $3.3 billion in loans, and $3.7 billion in deposits.