Special Program Root Tag

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. typically is at the center of every major industry change towards operational efficiency in U.S. securities markets, particularly the clearing and settlement of transactions.

Four Canadians and two Americans were charged with swindling $300 million from investors who believed they were putting money into a gold mining operation.

Don's Miss Money Management Executive's JPMorgan News in This Week's Issue: http://www.mmexecutive.com/issues/18_23/jpmorgan-beefs-up-bond-fund-business-207063-1.html

Don't Miss This Week's "Retire Rich" Blog on How Mutual Fund Complexes Can Advance Their IT and Sales & Marketing Depts. to Align Themselves With Investors in a Truly Meaningful Way:

Van Eck Global announced that, effective June 9, it has reduced the expense caps on three of its Market Vectors exchange-traded funds.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s battle with Merrill Lynch is heating up as both firms sweeten their recruitment packages.

Household ownership of municipal bonds catapulted over the $1 trillion mark for the first time ever in the first quarter of 2010. Meanwhile, foreign investors seeking a greater footprint in the municipal market via taxable Build America Bonds held $71.9 billion in their largest-ever presence in the market, according to new Federal Reserve data released yesterday.

WASHINGTON — Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd Wednesday endorsed a proposal to force banks to spin off their derivatives desks, saying Sen. Blanche Lincoln's primary win this week had increased odds some form of it would be in the final regulatory reform bill.

It is no secret that the financial services world is in the midst of an arms race to service Baby Boomers as they enter the next phase of their investing lives.

Boston Private Financial Holdings Inc. announced Tuesday Clayton G. Deutsch will succeed Timothy L. Vaill as chief executive officer and president on July 31.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a concept release on proxy firms and their OBO/NOBO (“non-objecting beneficial owners”) systems, Chairman Mary Schapiro recently told the Business Roundtable. The SEC aims to revise the proxy access rule by 2011.

The battle between Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch is heating up as both firms sweeten their recruitment packages, recruiters say.

Morgan Stanley denied the widely circulated news report Tuesday morning that it planned to cut 300 branches and 1,200 jobs.

Over the last number of years, mutual fund transfer agencies and shareholder communications companies have tried to convince shareholders to accept paperless summary prospectuses, proxies, trade confirmations and electronically stamped signatures. Fund supermarkets and web home pages have broadened their horizons to include market commentary, videostreaming and personal financial news.

John Hancock Retirement Plan Services has promoted six of its sales professionals to regional vice presidents, to strengthen its National Sales Team.

WASHINGTON — With lawmakers intent on sending a final regulatory reform bill to President Obama by July 4, much of the legwork is already happening behind the scenes on how to tackle a host of unresolved issues, including a proposed swaps ban, a stringent capital requirement, interchange fee regulation and a consumer protection agency.

Vercie Lark has joined DST Systems as chief information officer, overseeing the company’s enterprise information technology and data center operations.

As Loomis, Sayles Vice Chairman Dan Fuss told MME last month: “When interest rates eventually rise, it will become our entire focus. I’ve prepared for this well in advance “(see “Fuss: Interest Rate Policy Will Shape Recovery,” MME 5/3/2010).

Even with regulatory watchdogs barking, social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are becoming popular among financial professionals, suggesting institutional efforts to govern use is behind user adoption.

One of the great aftershocks felt in the wake of the financial meltdown has been a fairly loud drumbeat against Harry Markowitz’s modern portfolio theory.