Practice

Mutual of Omaha has named Seth Friedman to serve as 401(k) national sales director. He takes over for Michael Ziccardi, who left the firm in December to join Rekon Intelligence, which works with advisors to help them build out their businesses.

As banks nationwide struggle to process troubled assets off their books, middle market companies have not been able to get the loans they need to grow. Private money is stepping in to fill that gap – and providing yields that planners are seeking for their HNW clients.

Many investors put off making final IRA contributions until the last minute, and now Fidelity Investments has an app for that.

The first 725,000 Smith Barney customer accounts moved over to a fresh Morgan Stanley system over the President's Day Weekend. Algo-driven, personalized training of financial advisors and client support personnel is key to the move of records involving nearly $1 trillion in assets.

UHY Advisors, known as a tax and business consulting firm, is branching out into new territory with the hire of two estate planning specialists.

Insurers will need to rethink product offerings as policymakers are now looking beyond the once-vaunted 401(k).

Wedbush Securities has launched a trading platform provider that the firm says will dramatically speed up trades for fund managers and other institutional investors, as well as give them better control over their transaction costs.

Here’s an interactive slide show detailing the best investment ideas for this election year from seven financial advisors practicing throughout the country.

StanCorp Equities has appointed Jennifer Giampaolo as a pension consultant for its Orange County Retirement Plans Office, responsible for retirement plan sales in Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. She will also serve Arizona and New Mexico.

Another financial services firm has entered the fray over providing customer’s high functioning mobile access.