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In light of the continued market volatility, Russell Indexes is expanding its Defensive and Dynamic Indexes to cover all 10,000 stocks that it tracks around the world.

TD Ameritrade Institutional announced a new options trading, education and support package for advisors Thursday.

Vanguard has filed with the SEC to offer the Vanguard Target 2060 Retirement Fund for those currently 18 to 20 years old, and early next year will merge the Vanguard Target Retirement 2005 Fund and the Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund, as their allocations have become nearly identical.

Financial advisors are constantly on the lookout for new and more engaging and effective ways to market their services to prospective clients. Here’s a compilation of all the latest and most effective marketing tips, techniques and first-hand accounts you and your firm will need to raise your profile and increase your assets under management.

Investors contributed $748 million to Fidelity Charitable, the largest donor-advised fund in the U.S., in the first nine months of 2011, a 23% increase from the first three quarters of 2010. Thus, the fund is on course to receive the largest amount of contributions in its 20-year history, Fidelity said.

Investors pulled $3.93 billion from long-term mutual funds in the week ended Oct. 19, the Investment Company Institute said.

A “network connectivity issue” involving a next-generation trading system from Nasdaq OMX Group took down the $1.2 trillion Australian Securities Exchange for four hours Thursday.

Social media evangelists argue that the popularity of the new medium reflects a profound shift in the way investors scout for financial advice, making online social channels too important for advisors to ignore.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day higher, up 162.42 points, or 1.39%, reverses most of the previous day’s losses. The Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index gained 144.61 points, or 1.14%.

Here are five of the most common scams that advisors and their clients either managed to avoid or fell victim to this year.

Advisors and their investor clients should be on the lookout for these popular scams. According to the North American Securities Administrators Association, here are five of the most common scams that advisors and their clients either managed to avoid or fell victim to this year.

Recruiters predict discontent will lead to more advisor defections.

Tweets are ‘static content’ in the eyes of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, which operates a network of 18,000 financial advisers.

Tweets are 'static content' in the eyes of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, which operates a network of 18,000 financial advisors.

Mutual fund managers prided themselves on sticking to their investment mandates early on in the financial crisis of 2008. This, even as the average U.S. stock fund fell nearly 30% in value. They counseled investors to do the same. Three years later, there is a new direction for funds: the flexibility to go anywhere, to pay closer attention to macroeconomic and market trends, and to even hunker down in cash.

At the start of October, the Investment Company Institute announced it was going global. Or, rather, it announced the creation of ICI Global, a new arm that would as a trade association for global investment funds, their managers and investors.

Getting started in social media is a lot like getting started in investing. It pays to have a plan. If you are like most advisors, you’re probably just getting started. For you less is more. Here are seven broad components to include in your social media plan:

Getting started in social media is a lot like getting started in investing. It pays to have a plan. And, much like investment planning, TJ Gilsenan, the Web Savvy Advisor, says social media planning involves assessing where you are now, determining where you want to go, and establishing a plan to get there. If you are like most advisors, you’re probably just getting started. For you less is more. When it comes to your social media plan, start with the big picture. Focus on broad subject matter areas first, then zero in on the details. Here are seven broad components to include in your social media plan:

Getting started in social media is a lot like getting started in investing. It pays to have a plan. And, much like investment planning, TJ Gilsenan, the Web Savvy Advisor, says social media planning involves assessing where you are now, determining where you want to go and establishing a plan to get there.

To be well prepared for succession, owners of financial planning practices should make sure employees are able to advance their careers within the firms. Firm owners should also learn how to manage Generation Y workers, because they’re going to be key to keeping practices alive.