Portfolio

With the financial advice industry going through a period of change, we took a look at the past year to see how the players shook out. Here’s a look at some of the people, organizations and ideas that ended the year in a sweeter position than they began it.

AdvisorShares is currently prepping to launch an alternative income exchange-traded fund in early 2013.

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management today said it plans to close 13 ETFs, which represent less than 1% of Invesco PowerShares’ total assets.

Gemini Fund Services and Arrow Investment Advisors today unveiled their exchange-traded fund initiative, the Northern Lights ETF Trust (NLET), which will bring “innovative” ETFs to market.

Americans held $5 trillion in all employer-based DC retirement plans on September 30, of which $3.5 trillion was held in 401(k) plans, according to data from the Investment Company Institute.

The old-school model of hiring an investment consultant to dispense advice to sponsors of pension funds and endowments about prospective investment managers is passing away.

Belinda Sherman has been promoted to president of The Huntington Investment Company, reporting to Steven Short, director of Huntington Wealth Advisors.

Investors’ penchant for income and total return and a return to equities will fuel the next wave of exchange-traded fund product innovation in 2013, according to State Street Global Advisors latest ETF report.

Wells Fargo & Co., the biggest U.S. bank by market value, bought a stake in Rock Creek Group LP to provide more hedge-fund offerings to clients amid a push to double the asset-management unit within seven years.

All of a sudden, everyone wants to give the retail investor a break.