Portfolio

The Vanguard Group, Inc. has doubled its sales force, to 220 staffers, serving financial advisors in an initiative to promote its exchange traded-fund products.

Franklin Templeton Investments has unveiled an iPad app for its advisors and investors to access fund information and portfolio manager perspectives.

Although many defined contribution fund managers pay lip service to global investment opportunities, many DC plans actually have a “home bias” in their investments and are severely underweighted in their overseas exposure, according to a paper released by OppenheimerFunds, Inc.

Paul Schott Stevens, president and CEO of the Investment Company Institute, said Monday that the Securities and Exchange Commission has “pre-judged” the results of the 2010 round of reforms to money market mutual funds.

Pension fund managers should consider managing for a total outcome rather than focusing on the returns of individual strategies or asset classes to respond to the volatility and risk now plaguing their plans, according to a paper recently released by State Street Global Advisors.

Van Eck Global has filed for permission from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to create exchange-traded fund share classes of at least one of its five mutual funds.

Annuity sales top $231 billion in 2011, driven by robust sales of variable annuities.

Legacy expert attorneys Andy and Danielle Mayoras say the pop star's been very busy lately but it remains unclear what – if any – decisions she’s making herself and illustrates the importance of informed legal and estate planning regardless of your station in life.

BlackRock is looking to do some good while doing well at the same time with its latest values-based exchange-traded fund focusing on human rights.

ETFs have seen rapid adoption by investors and advisors in recent years, but while the products themselves are known for their liquidity and transparency, what’s less understood is the tax bite some may deliver at the end of each year. With this in mind, Financial Planning spoke with Adam Patti, CEO of IndexIQ, to talk taxes and ETFs.