Special Program Root Tag

Fund managers should consider improving target-date fund disclosure to better align these products with the individual risk tolerance of investors, particularly in light of increased regulatory scrutiny over the performance of these funds in 2008, a retirement income expert says.

The financial crisis has made a permanent impression on American consumers, who are likely to save 6% or more of their income over the next decade, translating to as much as $800 billion stashed away each year, according to a new study by Allianz Group.

This year's proxy season could be very turbulent for corporate boards of directors, thanks to increased shareholder activism and new rules that increase proxy disclosure.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's new rules to improve liquidity and disclosure for money market funds spared the $3.2 trillion industry from the cumbersome operational task of marking value of shares to market every day.

SEC to Propose New Target-Date Fund Rule

After a New York Times story about the Obama administration promoting the use of fixed annuities to help middle-class savers in defined contribution (DC) plans manage longevity risk, research and advisory firm Aite Group took a look at what this will mean for insurers.

RR Donnelley has added another mobile application to its suite for mutual fund and annuity companies, broker/dealers and financial advisers, the iCOMPLi iPhone app that makes it possible to send a SEC-compliant prospectus, summary prospectus or statement of additional information to an investor.

Following a month when it slashed online equity trade commissions and its new family of exchange-traded funds hit the ground running, Charles Schwab began to reap the benefits of its new initiatives in January as it attracted a slew of new assets and daily average trades rose.

Old Mutual Global Index Trackers has launched the GlobalShares FTSE Developed Countries ex-U.S. Fund, an exchange-traded fund trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Charles Schwab has selected State Street Corp. to support its eight new exchange-traded funds with custody, fund accounting, fund administration and transfer agency services. Sin e2005, State Street has provided Schwab with custody, fund accounting, fund administration and securities lending services.

Putnam Investments is betting that actively managed products like its absolute-return funds will resonate more with skittish investors than index funds and exchange-traded products, which might be cheaper but mirror the market's volatility.

T. Rowe Price has launched the Global Infrastructure Fund, a long-term growth fund that will invest in infrastructure-related companies around the world, including the U.S. It is available as a no-load mutual fund or through adviser class shares.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. reported fourth-quarter net income of $557 million, or $1.19 per share, compared with a loss of $806 million, or $2.71 per share, a year earlier. For the full year, the Connecticut company posted a loss of $887 million, compared with a $2.7 billion loss in 2008.

UBS Wealth Management Americas reported net asset outflows of $11.2 billion in the fourth quarter as the division struggled to regain its footing in the competitive U.S. market. UBS blamed the outflows on advisers leaving the firm and taking clients with them as well as limited recruiting of experienced advisers.

Bruce Berkowitz isn't the kind of manager whose moves make headlines, but they've paid off remarkably well for his investors.

Prudential Financial reported 2009 year-end earnings of $3.411 billion, or $7.63 per common share, a sharp improvement from the $1.14 billion loss, or $2.53 per common share, in 2008.

ProFunds Group has launched eight exchange-traded funds that are three times long or three times short five of the most traded broad U.S. market indexes: the Nasdaq 100, Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P MidCap 400 and Russell 2000. Last year, ProShares Advisors, advisor to the funds, launched plus and minus 3x exposure to the S&P 500.

Commodities, particularly precious metals funds, have been big sellers in recent months, but their good fortune reversed in January, when seven of the worst-performing mutual funds turned out to be concentrated on mining stocks.

Investors poured money into long-term mutual funds for the 47th straight week, taking in $7.07 billion in the week ended Feb. 3, the Investment Company Institute said. Sales in the period, now nearing a year, now total $470 billion.

Bank of America Corp. expects “significant” growth in 401(k) assets this year, but analysts are skeptical about where and how the banking company can expect to generate new business.