Practice

In July, forward-thinking fund managers were trying to figure out what might happen to their holdings if -- heaven forbid -- the unimaginable might occur. In this case, the unimaginable was whether a major ratings agency might downgrade U.S. debt, given the fractiousness of American political decision-making.

NYSE Euronext said activity on its U.S. stock exchanges fell 19.8 percent in September from August.

Risk management software firm Algorithmics said that it will work with Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking to develop a counterparty credit valuation adjustment product that SocGen can use to actively price and manage counterparty credit risk across all asset classes.

A majority of married couples in their 60s lack the knowledge about how to maximize their Social Security benefits and whether or not to expect Social Security advice from a financial planner.

BNY Mellon Shareholder Services has launched Mobile Proxy Voting, enabling client companies to extend electronic proxy voting to smartphones, tablets and other web-connected mobile devices.

ING knows people of all ages are now virtually tethered to their smartphones and tablet PCs, so it’s rolling out a new program to help employees instantly enroll in their employers’ retirement plans.

A senior executive with FINRA sought to tamp down the concerns that many investment advisors have raised about empowering the self-regulatory organization with oversight of the sector, pledging that significant reforms would accompany any such transition.

Barclays Wealth has continued its hiring streak of U.S.-based professionals focusing on Latin American ultra-high-net-worth clients.

ING’s U.S. retirement division has launched iEnroll, mobile enrollment for 401(k) plans whereby participants can instantly enroll in their workplace retirement plan. iEnroll is available on mobile devices as well as through tablets that on-site ING enrollment specialists will have on hand.

WASHINGTON -- A top official with the Labor Department defended the controversial plan to expand the definition of "fiduciary" to cover people providing advice to retirement plans on a commission-based model, a proposal strongly opposed by industry groups representing independent broker-dealers and advisers.