Portfolio

Mutual funds may see a sharp drop in popularity in the coming years as investors start to explore newer products like separately managed accounts and exchange-traded funds.

NEW YORK-Millions of Americans will be looking for 401(k) investment advice as they prepare for retirement, but until gaps are filled in relation to conflict-of-interest liability, most 401(k) administrators and sponsors will remain reluctant to offer guidance.

Fidelity Investments released the results of its first annual College Savings Indicator on Wednesday, which tracks how well prepared parents are to meet future college costs, which are currently projected to top an average of $100,000 nationwide for today’s high school seniors.

Although the Pension Protection Act permits 401(k) fund administrators to give advice to participants as long as fees collected from the advice remain constant, no matter what the investment choice, it doesn’t address the problems that arise when the advice steers investors into funds run by the 401(k) administrator itself, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A U.S. Supreme Court case of a 401(k) investor from Dallas who claimed his employer failed to execute an order, costing him $150,000, may pave the way for lawsuits by individual investors, rather than class-action suits.

Shakeouts at State Street Global Advisors and Bank of America's Columbia Management unit may be just the tip of the iceberg, as repercussions from the credit crunch hit mutual fund staffing levels.

Doomsayers and recession forecasters aside, two recent studies that advocate investments in large-cap growth equities say U.S. economic problems will be largely confined to the housing sector and some parts of the financial arena.

Emerging markets have become the new hot spot for mutual fund companies and investors looking to diversify their portfolios internationally, but analysts say even countries like China may be too correlated to the U.S. economy to escape a global recession-prompting some to look further, to new frontiers.

SEC Permits Companies to Bar Ballot Nominations

More than half of mutual fund investors don't know the difference between a mutual fund and an exchange-traded fund, but a recent survey found that many investors are interested in learning more about them and would consider buying ETFs if their financial adviser suggested it.