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According to a highly publicized study released last week, mutual funds are enablers of runaway executive compensations packages because they tend to vote their massive shareholdings in favor of management. Now a second study suggests that not only could funds be voting for management in those situations, they might also be voting more than their fair share.

Sometimes, it appears, it's not so good to be the king.

New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer fired back in response to a March 24 Wall Street Journal editorial in which the paper criticized his lawsuit of tax-prep giant H&R Block and called for the gubernatorial hopeful to consider "a few more anger management classes."

In early 2002, executives at Dreyfus gave written permission for hedge fund Millennium Partners to engage in market timing in its mutual funds, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Morningstar has rolled out mutual fund stewardship grades to underscore the fact that there's more for investors to consider when choosing a mutual fund than just past performance. This year's results are in, and one-fourth of domestic stock funds received excellent marks, while Morningstar rated all of them "good or great funds overall."

A number of large institutional investors are asking their brokerage houses to strip out the cost of research from trading commissions, Dow Jones reports. They are apparently following the lead of Fidelity Investments, which struck deals with Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank late last year to separate the cost of trading from research.

PHOENIX - After a sustained period of devoting resources to what its highest officers characterize as "frenetic rulemaking," the Securities and Exchange Commission is now prepared to conduct a comprehensive review of its exemptive application process and its approach to cost/benefit analysis.

PHOENIX - The nation's retirement system is in desperate need of an overhaul, and the mutual fund industry is likely to play a vital role in that renovation.

Investors who pick actively managed funds simply because data shows they beat the index might want to look a little more closely, according to a report released by a coalition of eight independent financial advisory firms known as the Zero Alpha Group.

State Street Global Advisors has registered 17 new exchange-traded funds with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This will expand its current roster of 25 ETFs, 12 of which it has rolled out since November.

The recent theft of a Fidelity Investments laptop computer that contained confidential client information is perhaps the final straw for many companies and individuals, who in increasing numbers are seeking out precautions ranging from old-fashioned locks to sophisticated software protection.

IXIS Promotes Witkos to EVP, Head of Distribution

It used to be that after 40 years on the job, employees could count on two things: a gold watch and a good pension. But about 15 years ago, that began to change, as more and more employers abandoned pensions for defined contribution plans.

At least five large mutual fund groups are being cited for too often voting in favor of excessive pay packages for America's chief executive officers.

Despite the critical bearing financial advisers have on mutual fund sales, fund firms as a whole are negligent when it comes to providing their advisers with business-building and practice management resources and tools. This is according to a new report from Corporate Insight, a New York financial services market research and consulting firm, called "Practice Management: Firms Fall Short, Fail to Address Back Office Issues."

The Phoenix Cos. has decided to adopt the Turner Strategic Growth Fund in an effort to raise average ratings and generate more growth, according to the Knight Ridder Tribune.

A study conducted by State Street Corporation shows that 81% of investment boards and trustees of institutions are more comfortable with investing in hedge funds than in the past year and 52% of them spend 15% or more of their timing considering alternative investments, the company said in a press release.

As the investment landscape changes, the only mode of survival is adaptation, or in the investment world, strategic change. Staying out of index funds is a necessary step toward gaining returns, according to the National Post.

The first U.S.-listed oil exchange-traded fund is expected to appear on the American Stock Exchange next week, pending final approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Federal law enforcement officials have a warrant to arrest Kirk Wright, who is accused of defrauding investors of between $150 and $180 million in assets while managing funds for International Management Associates and International Management Associates Advisory Group, according to MarketWatch.