Practice

Continued scrutiny by regulators and legislators on the fees and outcomes of 401(k)s and other defined contribution plans is pressuring revenues at asset managers, advisors and recordkeepers and will shape the future of the DC retirement plan market, according to a new study from Financial Research Corp., “Trends in Retirement/401(k) Plans and Administration.”

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney is warning 34,000 of its investors to be on alert after CD-ROMs carrying their personal data disappeared when they were mailed to a state government office.

The Vanguard Group has issued industry results from its “How America Saves 2011” report, based on the 3.2 401(k) investors it serves in 2,500 plans. The industry that saves the most in 401(k) plans is both small and large utilities (9.0% and 8.2% average contribution rates, compared to an average of 6.8%).

J.P. Morgan Asset Management has been selected as the investment manager for New York’s $1.9 billion 529 college savings plan. After completing the extensive request for proposal process, J.P. Morgan said, negotiations will now begin on the details of the seven-year agreement.

Continued scrutiny by regulators and legislators on the fees and outcomes of 401(k)s and other defined contribution plans is pressuring revenues at asset managers, advisers and recordkeepers and will shape the future of the DC retirement plan market, according to a new study from Financial Research Corp., “Trends in Retirement/401(k) Plans and Administration.”

Deutsche Boerse said it completed the move of its Xetra electronic stock trading market to a new data center.

In a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), experts recommended that middle-income retirees convert a portion of their savings into an inflation-adjusted annuity or opt for an annuity instead of a lump sum from an employer sponsored defined benefit (DB) plan. They also recommended that Americans delay taking Social Security benefits until at least full retirement age.

A new study to be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, has found that when people are reminded of money, they respond differently and mimicking can backfire and make establishing a relationship and a sense of trust even more difficult for financial advisors.

The old saying ‘sell in May and go away’ does not apply to daily investing life anymore, and many advisors know the reasons why.

A tight focus on doctors as clients keeps Ara Oghoorian, founder and president of ACap Asset Management, Inc., on top of the specialized needs of his clientele. ACap is a financial advisory firm located in Beverly Hills, Calif.