Portfolio

Hedge funds were not the speculators that caused the financial crisis. Blame it on the banks.

Assets in Barclays’ iShares ETFs in Asia ex-Japan rose by 43.7% in 2008 to $4.3 billion and globally, iShares took in $89 billion in new assets, up 27% from inflows of $70 billion in 2007.

Without divulging the figure, AARP said “many” Americans it surveyed are still committed to saving and investing for retirement. Most respondents said that they believe the current market turmoil has slowed their retirement progress, but will not halt it.

OppenheimerFunds has announced that it is making changes intended to strengthen its business operations and enhance risk management capabilities.

Consultants to 401(k)s and other defined contribution plans are carefully analyzing, and in some cases replacing, the plans’ money market, stable value, inflation protection and target-date offerings, PIMCO found in a survey.

Fund managers in emerging markets are increasingly paying attention to environmental, social and corporate governance factors, according to research by Mercer.

The Managed Funds Association has drafted the fifth edition of its best practices for hedge funds, this year with special emphasis on restoring confidence, along with a due diligence questionnaire for investors.

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department extended its $3 trillion temporary guarantee program for money market mutual funds through Sept. 19 to provide continued reassurance for investors.

Guaranteed living benefits are driving sales of variable annuities, Milliman found, with 96% of those sold in 2008 including GLBs, up from 87% that had GLBs in 2004.

AllianceBernstein announced Tuesday that it eliminated 237 positions in the first quarter, ending with a staff of 4,760, down from 4,997 at the beginning of the year. Thirty-one of the positions eliminated were held by investment professionals, including analysts, portfolio manager, chief investment officers, research directors and traders.