Margarida Correia

North America led the rise in global confidence, jumping 7.8 points to 86.3.

In 2012, revenue from wealth management services reached $29.8 million, a 37.5% increase from 2011.

Where would a successful trader invest a hypothetical $100,000 windfall? In energy, information technology and utilities, according to Fidelity Investments’ inaugural survey of its top online traders. The survey polled customers who made at least 36 trades over the past 12 months and whose total portfolio performance during this time was at least 20%. …

For the week ended Jan. 16, equity mutual funds attracted an estimated $9.32 billion in inflows, down from the previous week’s huge $14.33 billion inflow but nearly three times greater than last year’s record $3.52 billion inflow in early February.

The transaction involves approximately 3,000 accounts and $1.7 billion in assets under administration, which represent non-target business for Citi Private Bank’s trust business.

In the fourth quarter of 2012, wealth and investment services earned $7.8 million in non-interest income for the bank, a 36% jump from a year earlier and 9% increase from the previous quarter.

The group that emerged as the most committed to saving for retirement was the one identified as “Generation DC,” or those under the age of 25.

U.S. Bancorp’s wealth management and securities services business contributed $41 million to the bank’s bottom line in the fourth quarter of 2012, down $2 million, or 4.7%, from the previous quarter, but unchanged from the same quarter a year earlier.

When people hear “financial planning” or “retirement income,” they tune out. Try using “lifestyle design” instead to get their attention.

David Duffy joined the group as sales director and will be responsible for the firm’s residential mortgage business in the Mid-Atlantic region, focusing primarily on Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Almost one-third (32%) of the approximately 100 institutional investment managers surveyed think corporate earnings will grow in the first quarter of 2013, while the same percentage believe earnings will decline.

One new aspect about the platform is that it incorporates a unified managed account structure.

The unit earned $351 million in net income in the fourth quarter of 2012, up 13% from the year before.

More than eight in 10 American millionaires believe that each generation should be responsible for creating its own wealth, up from 65% who said the same thing in 2007 when the survey was last conducted.

For the week ended Jan. 2, 2013, investors pulled an estimated $6.44 billion from funds that invest in long-term instruments, the second largest outflow in 2012.

Christopher Hohlstein is based in the firm’s growing office in Atlanta and reports to Craig Sutherland, president of the Southeast U.S. region.

Almost half of the 1,127 investors polled said it is a good time to invest in equities, with one in five seeing blue-chip stocks as having the most potential.

Advisors naively believe that only 17% of their clients hold a direct account when in fact 74% do, according to a new report from Boston-based research firm Cerulli Associates.

“My number one objective is to grow revenues from the private bank and help to make it an even greater contributor to the growth of Webster Bank,” said Daniel FitzPatrick, the new head of the business.

Investors yanked an estimated $3.26 billion from municipal bond funds, giving them a severe black eye and their first weekly outflow this year.