Practice

The transmission of market data messages hit a new peak of 6.1 million messages a second Monday, as financial markets whipsawed in reaction to "news and rumors about the debt crisis in the Euro zone,'' Exegy said Tuesday.

Retirement programs for public employees are under siege, with numerous state and local employers either undertaking or considering massive restructuring of their benefit plans. The constraint comes as state budgets constrict and asset values drop.

The concept release is out. And the Securities and Exchange Commission wants to know: Just how much leverage should a mutual fund have?

WASHINGTON - Although Federal Reserve Board officials promised to unveil a long-awaited package of key Dodd-Frank rules by the end of the summer, the central bank is likely to need more time to complete them.

If your logo is more than a dozen years old, chances are it's time for a makeover. Tired, dated materials won't reassure prospective clients that you're progressive and will constantly update the knowledge and services you offer. Your branding essentials may not need a complete overhaul, just a simple facelift.

Partnering with local libraries to bring financial education to interested people in her area has been a successful route to prospective clients for Darla Main, of Main Advisory, inc. in McMurray, Penn.

Long-only institutional traders are widely worried about the impact of high-frequency trading programs on the shape of equities markets, according to a survey conducted on behalf of Liquidnet, operator of a venue for trading anonymously in large blocks of shares.

The latest incarnation of TD Bank's buildup of a broad social media program for North America -- the embedding of Twitter staff within the contact center -- is only a few months old, but the bank has already discovered the formula to win an impressive spike in the use of social media to resolve customer queries.

Investment advisors could eventually have a national self-regulatory organization akin to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority soon, if draft legislation introduced by an Alabama Congressman becomes law. But it will not come without a fight.

SS&C Technologies Holdings has completed its acquisition of BDO Simpson Xavier Fund Administration Services Limited, in Dublin, Ireland.