Special Program Root Tag

Sometimes regulatory changes that are meant to benefit investors end up taxing industry professionals, though this does not appear to be the case for the Securities and Exchange Commission's new format for investment company brochures.

A new survey from Country Financial found that the number of Americans who think college is a good financial investment plunged to 64%, down 16 points from last year and 17 points from 2008.

As news "broke" Monday that BP [ BP ] CEO Tony "I want my life back" Haywood will step down in October, and news reports of the pervasive greed among the people in the Gulf Coast ... some questions are worth asking.

Is perception reality? A balance sheet or a SEC filing snapshot says it is.

In a deal that will combine a base of more than 9,000 financial institutions and 2,500 corporate users of messaging technology, SWIFT plans to acquire Ambit Messaging Hub Assets from SunGard.

Crooks are using social media sites to promote illegitimate high yield investment programs (Hyips), the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory (FINRA) warned last week.

U.S Trust hired nine senior wealth management experts to their California, Arizona and Washington operations as part of their wealth management expansion efforts.

Knight Capital Group said it agreed to acquire Astor Asset Management, LLC, a money management firm specializing in macro-economic strategy and construction of portfolios of exchange-traded funds. Knight said it would pay roughly $20 million in cash and stock, based on Astor’s assets under management at the close.

WASHINGTON-The mutual fund and brokerage industries are revisiting their sales loads structure following the Securities and Exchange Commission's unanimous decision last Wednesday to revamp the 12b-1 sales and distribution fees that have become so prevalent in the industry and to provide better disclosures of these charges to investors.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority announced Wednesday it fined Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. $7.5 million for negligently misrepresenting delinquency data in connection with the issuance of subprime securities.

When the European Markets in Financial Services Directive was adopted three years ago, fund managers appeared content. After all, more competition in markets would mean their broker-dealers would get a "better deal" for their firms and their clients.

Is perception reality? A balance sheet or a SEC filing snapshot says it is.

LIMRA, LOMA Retain Kerzner as Chief Executive

NEW YORK-Even as the residential housing and mortgage markets remain fragile, with housing starts and sales faltering-many money managers believe commercial real estate is headed for a worldwide boom.

Soon, fund managers and investment advisors are going to have to worry about how federal agencies interpret the fiduciary standard that will govern the advice they give to clients, now that President Obama has signed Wall Street reform legislation.

Van Eck Global Friday launched the Market Vectors Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond ETF, trading on NYSE Arca under the ticker EMLC. The fund closed at $25.45 for the day.

For as much press as the recent financial reform bill has received, the majority of financial advisers apparently are unaware of its importance on their business and clients.

Matters being put up for votes at shareholder meetings may follow the path proposed by XBRL US and others on corporate action notices.

BlackRock is promoting its first U.S. gold mutual fund, the BlackRock World Gold Fund, aimed at both retail and institutional investors. The fund is managed by gold and natural resources specialists Evy Hambro and Catherine Row.

Even as Build America Bonds continue to transform municipal finance, one thing stays constant: hedging a portfolio of muni securities remains very difficult.