Regulation

The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering better disclosures for target-date funds, particularly their glide paths and asset allocations, SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro told the Mutual Fund Directors Forum.

With more than nine in 10 shareholders reporting Internet access, the SEC's summary prospectus rule represents more than just an opportunity to provide an easier-to-understand document. The new rule provides a unique chance to refine the overall shareholder communication model.

Robert L. Reynolds loves a challenge. Without question, he certainly faces one. Trying to restore Putnam Investments' stature among America's top mutual fund companies after the firm's involvement in the trading scandal of 2003 and depletion of assets, now at $99 billion, a mere quarter of what they were in 2000-is a formidable task.

NEW YORK - Most financial transactions are dependent upon trust, but the last two decades of deregulation have eroded that trust and created a global crisis of confidence, according to experts who met last week at a global forum in the heart of New York's financial district.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is holding its annual regional CCOutreach seminars between May and July.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is currently investigating 50 cases of credit-default swaps and 150 hedge funds, Chairman Mary Schapiro told the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. The investigations are in line with objectives of the Obama Administration to overhaul financial regulations.

The House Education & Labor Committee last week proposed new rules for 401(k) disclosure that will give investors greater transparency into the fees they are paying, but some 401(k) advocates say the new rules are too aggressive and unnecessary.

Commenting on the House Savings Recovery Act introduced this week, Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said, “Along with our struggling economy, over the past 16 months, millions of Americans have seen their personal savings and retirement accounts hit hard. Americans should be given every opportunity to help rebuild their savings. “

The “Sixty Minutes” segment on 401(k)s that slammed them as being mediocre offerings with hidden fees is not the only shot being taken at the defined contribution model—not by a long shot.

The House Education & Labor Committee has introduced the Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act of 2009, which would require 401(k) plans to clearly state all fees with the aim of helping workers shop around for the best retirement options.