Practice

National Planning Holdings, Inc., one of the nation’s larger independent broker-dealer networks, announced this week it has contracted with business technology firm Erado to supply its more than 3,500 affiliated representatives with compliance services for social media applications.

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitration panel has ordered Merrill Lynch to pay $8.1 million in compensatory damages to a family corporation that claimed the firm had breached its fiduciary duty with its investments.

MassMutual has made a number of enhancements to its RetireSMART target-date and lifecycle funds, most notably adding mutual fund options to its target-date series. Previously, only separately managed accounts through a group annuity contract were offered as target-date funds.

Americas Trading Group said it selected NYSE Technologies to provide the backbone for its high-performance execution platform.

In what may be a sign of a tightening of regulation of social media use by investment advisors, the Securities Division of the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Office is issuing new guidelines and best practices standards that will go into effect next year.

Civil rights icon Rosa Parks passed away in Detroit at the age of 92 back in 2005. Almost six years later, her legacy is still tied up in a lengthy court battle. The case features allegations of abuse, cronyism and corruption by the probate judge as well as the two lawyers he appointed to oversee the estate and trust.

The Securities and Exchange Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to require large traders to register and to share more information. The rule, yet another measure in response to the Flash Crash of May 2010, will take effect in 60 days, with traders given an additional two months to begin registering.

Financial planners become successful through a fierce commitment to building their practices. But too few principals proactively plan for when -- and how -- they will one move on. To avoid being unprepared when the time comes, here's an interactive slideshow outlining some of the key steps in the succession planning process.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has a message for investors considering lesser-understood investments as an alternative to traditional fixed-income and equity investments: caveat emptor.

Orc Group said it released software to support electronic market making in North America.