Portfolio

Fidelity Charitable, operator of the nation’s largest donor-advised fund program, said its donors set records in 2011 both in the amount of money contributed to the fund and in the amount that was taken out of the fund and granted to charities.

Investment Guidance Solutions introduced a software tool for mutual fund investing, that gives buy or sell signals based on whether it is better to be invested in a specific fund or in cash.

Bennett Group Financial Services (BGFS) announced the launch of four mutual funds currently consisting of A shares available through financial professionals, banks, brokerages and insurance companies for their clients. The new additions are the Bennett Conservative Fund; Bennett Moderate Fund; Bennett Growth Fund; and Bennett Aggressive Growth Fund.

Fidelity Investments Institutional Services has been rebranded as Fidelity Financial Advisor Solutions. Lynne A. Goldman, its senior vice president for investment product management and development, talked with MME about how the business helps advisers help investors.

Affiliated Managers Group reports that for the fourth quarter of 2011, Economic earnings per share were $1.76, compared to $2.02 for the same period of 2010, while diluted earnings per share for Q4 of 2011 were $0.77, compared to $1.18 for the same period of 2010.

As voters in Florida head to the polls Tuesday to decide who will take on President Obama in November, you can bet many will be have another kind of change in mind. On average, the S&P 500 has improved 14% in the fourth year of a Democratic administration. But this year could be much different, based on statistics so far for the Obama term.

Legacy expert attorneys Andy and Danielle Mayoras say most of music diva Whitney Houston’s purported financial woes could have been averted had she and her family sought out and received professional financial and estate planning advice before things turned sour.

The assets of the nation’s mutual funds were flat in December, gaining $12.3 billion.

University of Chicago Professor Emeritus Marvin Zonis points out that several nations representing more than half of the world's GDP by purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita could see a change atop their governments this year. This potentially massive shift in geo-political leadership will almost certainly impact economies, investments and investors around the globe. Here’s an interactive slide show featuring 10 countries and elections that Wall Street needs to be paying attention to this year: Source: World Bank/Professor Emeritus Marvin Zonis, University of Chicago

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied back from a triple-digit deficit in late trading Monday but still closed off 6.74 points to finish at 12,653.72. Nagging Eurozone worries and disappointing consumer spending figures for December were largely to blame.