Portfolio

Mistakes, bad luck and unexpected events can happen to any firm during good times and bad, but tackling misfortune in a forthright, brutally honest manner rather than trying to sidestep unpleasant truths can mean the difference between a small crisis and a full-blown public relations nightmare.

Fair value reporting seemed anything but fair last October when prices fell off a cliff.

Investors overwhelmingly believe that environmental issues offer tremendous long-term investing opportunities, Allianz Global Investors found in a survey of 1,264 adults with household financial assets of at least $100,000 in December.

In light of the recent market downturn and the difficult position that has left millions of near-retirees, Charles Schwab has launched a new suite of advice and tools specifically geared to investors within 10 years of retirement, called Real Life Retirement Services. Built as a type of social network, the accompanying website gives investors a place to ask questions and share their own experiences, including a survey that shows them how their retirement expectations compare with their peers.

Despite a more than 40% decline in Chinese funds last year, Toronto-based Manulife Financial is determined to launch a mutual fund business in China before the end of the year.

Forward Management LLC is offering investors exposure to frontier markets with the launch of its new Accessor Frontier Markets Fund.

Money market mutual fund assets ended their record climb, falling $28.95 billion to settle at $3.893 trillion for the week ending Jan. 21, according to the Investment Company Institute.

Hedge fund Duff Capital Advisors has laid off approximately 80% of its staff, mostly form its investment teams, Dow Jones reports.

Investment research analyst Ian Jacobs, who has worked at Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. since 2003, is reportedly planning to launch his own fund on March 1.

Sixty percent of Americans surveyed by TD Ameritrade said their No. 1 resolution for 2009 was saving more money, not losing weight or eating better. Forty-three percent said there are more likely to have personal finance-related resolutions for 2009 than they were two years ago.