Practice

In a letter to the SEC, investment management firm says it does support enhanced disclosure.

Although it supports the Securities Exchange Commission’s goal of bringing more disclosure to target-date funds, the proposal to include asset allocation information in the fund’s name will only confuse investors, BackRock said in a letter to the agency this week.

The securities industry regulator fined a Zions Bancorp unit $225,000 for failing to disclose a potential conflict of interest in online auctions for certificates of deposit.

Because women live longer, require more care and tend to be the primary caregivers in their families, long term care falls disproportionately on their shoulders. Yet according to a recent survey by Genworth Financial women face challenges talking to their families about putting together a financial strategy to deal with long term care.

As baby boomers transition from the accumulation to distribution phase of their financial lives, many RIAs find themselves engaged in a strategic planning process as they decide how to reshape their business models to serve clients in this new stage. For many financial planners, it remains a work in progress.

While low interest rates have been a “boon” to corporate borrowers, the low-yield environment is likely to “exacerbate underfunded pension positions” for corporations in the near term, Fitch said in a new report.

On Wednesday Adhesion Wealth Advisor Solutions announced it improved its WealthADV technology platform to provide more ways for investment advisors to communicate with clients. The newest development: clients can now check their portfolios and performance reports with the iPad as well as most Mac and Microsoft Windows-based devices.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has given money market funds a reprieve from following an amendment to money market fund regulations requiring allowing them to approve of the credit rating agencies they must use to determine whether a security is eligible for investment.

The Boston company said Tuesday it is introducing new Retirement Choices target-date portfolios, which are designed to take participants “to” retirement and accommodate the participant who wishes to select another investment strategy at the time of retirement.

The fourth annual College Savings Indicator study found that the percentage of college costs parents are projected to meet is only 16%, down from 18% last year, and 24% in 2007, the first year of Fidelity’s survey. However, those who work with an advisor are projected to meet 28% of college costs, down from 34% last year.