Portfolio

Long-short investing lost a lot less money than equity investments, Credit Suisse says. But is it right for your clients?

The Securities and Exchange Commission has given money market funds a reprieve from following an amendment to money market fund regulations requiring allowing them to approve of the credit rating agencies they must use to determine whether a security is eligible for investment.

The Boston company said Tuesday it is introducing new Retirement Choices target-date portfolios, which are designed to take participants “to” retirement and accommodate the participant who wishes to select another investment strategy at the time of retirement.

The fourth annual College Savings Indicator study found that the percentage of college costs parents are projected to meet is only 16%, down from 18% last year, and 24% in 2007, the first year of Fidelity’s survey. However, those who work with an advisor are projected to meet 28% of college costs, down from 34% last year.

Hedge funds finally make it back into the black, returning 0.35% year to date in July, Morningstar says.

One of the Obama administration’s priorities is to get Congress to extend the Build America Bond program and federal officials are convinced BABs will remain a “vibrant market” even if the federal subsidy rate is reduced from its current 35% level, a Treasury Department official said ­Monday.

The Toronot company launched a fund that can invest in junk bonds.

An overwhelming majority of Build America Bond subsidy payments have been paid in full to BAB issuers, suggesting that concerns about offsets are dramatically overblown, according to new data on state issuers compiled by the IRS.

Cash continues flooding into municipal bond mutual funds as retail investors embrace yields many once scorned as being far too low. Municipal bond mutual funds that report their figures weekly posted a net inflow of $927.1 million during the week ended Aug. 18, according to Lipper FMI.

Ameriprise eliminates redundancies in mutual fund coverage following its acquisition of Columbia and subsequent merger with it RiverSource investment unit.