What the experts say

An early bull run

“It might be safe to look at your 401(k) statement again,” said Walter Hamilton in the Los Angeles Times. The stock market may have had a terrible few days this week, but it just ended its best first quarter since 1998, sending “nearly $1.85 trillion streaming back into stocks since January.” In the first three months of 2012, the S&P 500 index posted a 12 percent gain, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 8 percent, spurred by a run of positive U.S. economic data. But the rebound caught Wall Street off guard, and jitters remain about its staying power. “The wild card right now is energy prices,” said Stephen Wood, chief market strategist at Russell Investments. Higher gas prices could put a dent in consumer spending, and slowing growth in China and Europe’s ongoing debt woes could help “put an end to the party,” as we saw this week.

Secret fees revealed

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One of the financial world’s “most tightly held secrets” is about to be revealed, said Leslie Scism in The Wall Street Journal. It’s “what your insurance agent is paid.” A recent New York state regulation requiring insurance agents and brokers to reveal their fees just survived an appellate court challenge. That’s good news for consumers: Agents’ commissions aren’t generally apparent because insurers pay them. But when commissions are relatively low, companies “have more room to be generous with consumers” on annual interest and extra features. Other states have been watching closely and may craft similar rules. If you don’t live in New York, it’s worth asking your agent to disclose his commission—“and if he doesn’t give you an answer, consider shopping elsewhere.”

Leaning on alumni

College alums are giving back to their alma maters in the form of student loans, said Dan Kadlec in Time.com. Under a new program called SoFi (short for social finance), alumni can give money to a fund at their college, which the school then uses “to extend loans it wouldn’t otherwise offer.” The 6.24 percent loan rates are well below those available on the private market and less than the federal unsubsidized Stafford loan rate of 6.8 percent. More than 30 colleges are participating, including Boston College, Columbia, Duke, and Indiana University, and the program expects to lend $150 million this year. Plus, the alumni get their money back—with interest.