Portfolio

In the first 11 months of 2010, assets held in exchange-traded funds increased 19.4%, according to Investment Company Institute figures. In the last 11 months of 2010, assets grew 56.9%.

After three years of cautious spending and paying down debt, American households have significantly improved their balance sheets. Yet consumer confidence slipped this month as more people worried about the job outlook.

Although Bank of America Merrill Lynch forecasts modest global growth in 2011, it does predict that stock prices around the world will rise by more than 15% and that the S&P 500 will rise by 9%.

Exchange-traded funds have made for some ugly headlines. They played an integral role in the May 6 flash crash, and more recently a controversy erupted over whether prices could crash on heavily shorted ETFs. Though many consider those fears unfounded, these increasingly popular investments nonetheless pose risks, and financial advisers should be cautious.

For advisors in the bank channel, 2010 was a year of regulatory change, market rebounds and relative uncertainty. It was also a year of creativity, ingenuity and success. Here were some of our top stories from the year that was.

New data released from Morningstar shows two of its indexes faced a more difficult month in November, as the asset class in general falls short of matching 2009’s performance.

Spectrem Group announced Wednesday that its Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index rose seven points in December to end the year at 7.

A new report from Standard & Poor’s shows that home prices and annual growth rates have declined from earlier this year, pointing to a double-dip.

Despite dire warnings of imminent government collapse, since the middle of 2009, only three municipal issues in the “safe” sectors--general obligation, tax backed and essential services—have defaulted, according to Municipal Market Advisor’s data.

Municipal market groups next year will face an uphill battle trying to get Congress to resurrect the Build America Bond program and other bond-related tax incentives that expire Dec. 31.