Money Management Executive Latest News

WASHINGTON-Asset management firms must have a presence on social media if they want to remain relevant to financial advisers and investors, according to speakers on the Investment Company Institute's "Using Social Media in Fund Communications" panel during its 2011 General Membership Meeting here.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index fell to -46.9 in the week ended May 8, as rising gas prices are making Americans worried about their personal finances. This was the index’s worst reading since March, Bloomberg said. The comfort index’s range is from -100 to +100.

Janus has launched the Janus Real Return Allocation Fund, which seeks to provide total returns in excess of the rate of inflation over a full market cycle. Janus will co-manage the fund with Armored Wolf.

Fund investors added $27 billion to U.S. stock and bond funds in April, up from the $23 billion they invested in March, according to Strategic Insight.

BOSTON - In today’s turbulent world, there will be plenty of investment opportunities, but also plenty of risk.

Market research firm TNS’ Investor Confidence Index, based on an early April survey of 1,551 adults with investable assets of $500,000 or more on their expectations for the next six months, declined to 113 from 119 in January.

Trust in the U.S. financial system has fallen to 20%in March from 26% in December, as measured by the Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index, which surveyed 1,007 adults to obtain the reading.

Orinda Asset Management has launched the Orinda Multi-Manager Hedged Equity Fund, a fund that seeks long-term capital appreciation with an emphasis on risk-adjusted returns and reduced volatility.

Van Eck Global has launched the Market Vectors LatAm Aggregate Fund ETF, which will track the BofA Merrill Lynch Broad Latin America Bond Index.

Vanguard has reduced the investment minimum on its 12 Target Retirement Funds from $3,000 to $1,000. Previously, only the Vanguard STAR Fund, a balanced fund-of-funds, had a minimum of $1,000.