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So much research comes out this time of year with many major firms cautiously offering their predictions for the new year that we wondered how they would stack up on the major issues. We’ve parsed through some of the larger reports from Barclays, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, UBS, ING and Wells Fargo to track the top themes and condense it down. Here are some of their more interesting recommendations on global themes as well as some more local, unique investment ideas that they had to offer.

For the week ended Jan. 2, 2013, investors pulled an estimated $6.44 billion from funds that invest in long-term instruments, the second largest outflow in 2012.

A few years ago, a trio of analysts created a stir when they published two memos suggesting that the American economy had become a “plutonomy” – one that is highly and disproportionately controlled by the extremely wealthy. Keith Webber says that, when looking ahead to the millions of baby boomers who will be retiring in the next 15 years, it’s not hard to envision the idea of retirement turning into a “plutirement,” with two very different retirement realities facing your clients.

RBC has added a group of five former Morgan Stanley advisors with $758 million in combined assets under management.

Advisors continue to flock to the RIA business model, making it the fastest-growing corner of the financial services industry. However, even as they do, more than ever are hanging onto commission income, despite the risks it poses to acting as full fiduciaries.

Scott Cooley, chief financial officer at Morningstar will resign from his post this year but the company expects him to remain in his role until it names a replacement.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management is currently prepping a master limited partnership fund to launch within the next few months.

Here’s a sampling of bank reps who were recently promoted or moved to new organizations to assume roles of greater responsibility.

Christopher Hohlstein is based in the firm’s growing office in Atlanta and reports to Craig Sutherland, president of the Southeast U.S. region.

Palmer Square Capital Management is bringing another asset management shop into its fold.