Newsletter provided to brokerage firm customers or written by an independent market analyst, registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission, who sells the letter to subscribers. These letters assess the trends in interest rates, the economy, and the market in general. Brokerage letters typically reiterate the recommendations of their own research departments. Independent letters take on the personality of their writers-concentrating on growth stocks, for example, or basing their recommendations on technical analysis. A Hulbert Rating is an evaluation of such a letter's performance.




