Practice

$30 billion initiative would be separate from Tarp

Despite the trend over the past three years at many large money managers to divest and focus on core businesses, Invesco Ltd. retained its trust unit, Atlantic Trust. And the decision continues to pay handsome dividends.

To help the middle-class save for retirement, President Obama may have also given a boost to the annuities sector.

Bank of America's Merrill Lynch Wealth Management has launched a new U.S. marketing campaign, "help2retire___," to illustrate individuals' evolving retirement priorities and personal aspirations. Budgeted at $20 million, it launched last Monday and is scheduled to run through the end of April on broadcast network and national cable TV, as well as print and online consumer and trade magazines, including sister publication Financial Planning.

NEW YORK -- Online retirement calculators are usually so confusing or overwhelming that the average plan participant logs in, checks their account balance and then logs off without making any changes. Putnam Investments has developed a new retirement income twist it hopes will resonate with investors, plan sponsors and financial advisers.

Financial companies are trying to make tax season a bit less taxing for people who bank online.

WASHINGTON — Though President Obama last week said the spate of government programs helping banks was comparable to a "root canal," there can be little doubt that a key part of those efforts — the Federal Reserve Board's multiple liquidity facilities — was vital in staving off economic collapse.

The Securities and Exchange Commission last Wednesday adopted several amendments to Rule 2a-7 governing money market funds that aim to reduce risks by increasing credit quality, improving liquidity, shortening maturity limits and requiring the disclosure of a fund’s “shadow” net asset value.

Consumers, professionals can verify an advisor’s credentials via CFFP or Nasdaq

The Recession has prompted an overwhelming majority of American workers to believe it’s time for a new and improved model for workplace retirement programs, Prudential Financial [PRU] found in a survey.