The McKinsey Quarterly

2008

• December 2008 

  The voice of experience: Public versus private equity

  Few directors have served on the boards of both private and public companies. Those who have give their views here about which model works best.

• November 2008 

  Why baby boomers will need to work longer

  Most US baby boomers are not prepared for their retirement, and neither are the US and world economies. Boomers can help mitigate the consequences by remaining in the workforce beyond the traditional retirement age.

• February 2008 

  Controlling costs in European asset management

  Profits were strong in 2006, but the recent market setback poses a serious threat to the industry's profitability.

• February 2008 

  How investors can get more out of infrastructure

  Opportunities to invest in public infrastructure will increase during the next few years, but so will competition for deals.

2007

• December 2007 

  The world’s new financial power brokers

  Four rising players will continue to grow in wealth and importance, even if interest rates rise and oil prices drop.

• November 2007 

  Private equity's ongoing allure

  Growth in the private equity industry may have slowed, but the industry still attracts investors. Here’s why.

  Includes:

• October 2007 

  The opportunity in asset management in China

  The country’s asset-management market will grow by 24 percent annually for the next ten years, but the multinational companies attempting to serve it face vastly increased competition.

• June 2007 

  Focusing on the customer: An interview with the head of Merrill Lynch’s operations and IT

  Merrill Lynch has combined operations with IT in a single unit. Diane Schueneman, the head of the company’s Global Infrastructure Solutions, explains how she is changing both to focus on the customer.

• April 2007 

  Innovation in financial services: A McKinsey Global Survey

  Financial-services executives say innovation is critical, but few companies have embraced best practices.

• April 2007 

  Private-investment opportunities for public transport

  Public-private partnerships represent a significant opportunity for private investors—but pose worrisome risks as well.

• April 2007 

  The future of public-pension systems: An interview with the president of the Chilean Pension Reform Commission

  The chairman of a commission set up to investigate Chile’s private-pension system explains that the goal now is to supplement rather than replace it.

• March 2007 

  Capturing opportunities in the Gulf's financial sector

  Foreign financial firms should focus on areas where scale and experience give them a competitive advantage.

• March 2007 

  Reforming Latin American pension systems

  Pension reform and privatization have delivered benefits—shrinking deficits and greater transparency—but systems need to boost their returns and attract more workers.

2006

• December 2006 

  Saudi Arabia's global investor: An interview with Prince Alwaleed

  The biggest individual foreign investor in the United States discusses the pace of reform in Saudi Arabia, his investments, and the future of Islam.

• April 2006 

  Inside a hedge fund: An interview with the managing partner of Maverick Capital

  What should a company do when a hedge fund shows up among its investors?

• February 2006 

  Winning strategies for US asset managers

  Choosing the right approach will be of growing importance to sustain current profit margins.

2005

• February 2005 

  Why some private equity firms do better than others

  Investments don’t govern themselves; active ownership is the answer.

2004

• August 2004 

  Private equity's new challenge

  A changed competitive landscape calls for a different business model.

• May 2004 

  Agenda of a shareholder activist

  Fund managers should be good owners, not just traders, believes the head of Europe’s leading shareholder-activist fund.

• May 2004 

  US pension funds: Mind the gap

  Companies should deal with the problems now, before another benefits crisis—health care—starts to rear its head.

• February 2004 

  A halo for angel investors

  A portfolio of investments in socially responsible companies can generate returns similar to those of the S&P; 500.

2003

• June 2003 

  The liabilities of Europe's asset managers

  Many retail and institutional investment houses in Europe haven’t come to grips with the global economic slowdown. The clock is ticking.

• May 2003 

  Much ado about dividends

  Eliminating the double taxation of dividends is more notable for what it won’t do than for what it will.

2002

• June 2002 

  Who's afraid of variable earnings?

  Many companies waste effort smoothing short-term earnings. They would be better off focusing on long-term profit and return on capital.

• May 2002 

  Filling China's pension gap

  Major changes are needed to rescue China’s pension system. When they come, they will be among the strongest drivers of development in the country’s capital markets.

2001

• November 2001 

  Managing the asset manager

  A survey shows that the message on talent from asset-management employees to their bosses is an overwhelming "could do better."

2000

• August 2000 

  Private equity heads for Japan

  The country's huge conglomerates move slowly, but they are moving to divest assets.

• June 2000 

  Asset management in Europe

  To fill a gap in knowledge about European asset management firms, McKinsey conducted a survey of 33 of them, focusing on the amount and nature of their assets, as well as on staffs, revenues, and costs.

• February 2000 

  Investing in Europe

  A growing pool of savings has made Europe a tempting target for non-European asset managers

1997

• May 1997 

  Mutual funds in Germany: Evaluating opportunities

  Germany’s mutual fund market is growing in line with Germans’ realization that they can no longer rely on the state pension to provide for their old age. This article looks at the types of retirement product that are likely to emerge, and at the market roles fund providers old and new might take.

• May 1997 

  Will success spoil investment management?

  The temptation to buy: instant breadth, stable earnings, and brand recognition. Before you move, answer some tough questions about sales, marketing, and distribution. Even when the potential is there, you can give it away with an unsound deal structure.

• February 1997 

  Making the money work: Improving investment performance in insurance

  Insurance companies are among the largest asset managers in the world. Asset management often not regarded as a core skill of insurance companies. Investment return significant value driver for insurance companies.