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NewRiver Inc. announced it will start delivering monthly updates to its summary prospectus indexes for mutual funds, variable annuities and a new index that tracks retirement funds.

Fidelity Investments announced it has helped nearly 50 broker teams go independent in the first quarter, a 20% increase from the same time last year. Fidelity said it has helped more than 625 broker teams transition to independence since 2005.

NEW YORK -- Asset managers looking for creative new ways to profit during the global recovery have been launching a wave of exchange-traded products that aim to help portfolio managers and sophisticated investors increase their exposure to alternative investments and small-capital stocks.

WASHINGTON -- Bank of America Corp. is breaking ranks with other large banks by supporting consumer-protection provisions in regulatory reform legislation, several sources said. The provision has been one of the most controversial elements in the reform effort, and the support of a large financial institution could help build momentum for the idea.

They've been derided by Warren Buffett and feared by regulators, but some advisers are convincing clients that derivatives are helpful.

Columbia Management Expects Massive Layoffs

After target-date funds took massive losses in 2008-most notably, those with a near-term retirement date that were supposed to protect investors' money-many on Wall Street expected target-date investors to move their savings elsewhere.

Funds Bear Responsibility for Exec Pay: Critics

Eaton Vance Management has launched the Eaton Vance Commodity Strategy Fund, which will take long and short positions in fixed income instruments, including derivatives, with the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index Total Return Index as its benchmark.

With the tax deadline approaching, investors are deciding whether to convert from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA.

Charles Schwab is encouraging people receiving tax refunds to resist the temptation to use the money for impulse purchases, but, rather, to use the money for long-term financial goals, especially retirement, and paying down high-interest debt.

Citigroup's mutual fund transfer agent services have again been honored with a 5-star performance rating by National Quality Review for the year ending December 2009.

Dreyfus has launched the Dreyfus Dynamic Alternatives Fund, a mutual fund designed to provide exposure to a range of hedge fund returns.

ProShares has launched the first exchange-traded funds that offer leveraged and inverse exposure to the biotechnology sector.

Investment management firms, custodians and broker/dealers all say that financial planners are embracing Web-based workstations that work on smart phones, but they don’t agree on how fast advisers are going down that path.

Ever since the recession began, everyone from media outlets to industry gurus have deemed 401(k)s a failure.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Robert J. Keyes has been named Associate Regional Director and Chief of Regional Office Operations in the agency's New York Regional Office.

Morgan Keegan got hit Wednesday with enforcement actions from both FINRA and the Securities and Exchange Commission over several bond funds that have cost the firm millions of dollars in investor arbitration complaints.

Last week, investors did something they have not done in more than a year: They withdrew more money from municipal bond mutual funds than they put in.

Fidelity Investments has added several new enhancements to its website for financial advisers, including an interactive "Click to Talk" feature that will have a representative call your phone within seconds.