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Thirty percent of mutual fund owners are willing to take substantial or above-average risk, ICI reports.

ING Investment Management Americas is launching a globally focused fixed-income fund that is expected to outperform market benchmarks by investing in debt securities for its institutional clients, the firm said Tuesday.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, the full-service corporate and investment banking arm of SunTrust Banks, has beefed up its institutional fixed-income team with the addition of six professionals, the firm said.

The State Street Investor Confidence Index reading of the outlook of institutional investors showed a four-point decline in September to 88, down from 92 in August. In North America, the drop was more pronounced; the confidence level fell 7.3 points to 87.9 from August’s reading of 95.2.

At least two lenders — Popular and Huntington Bancshares — and possibly a third, U.S. Bancorp, are planning to cope with the high cost of regulation a different way.

The Basel III bank capital requirements proposed earlier this month threaten to eviscerate the supply of eligible investments for tax-free money market funds — an industry already struggling with a severe supply shortage.

FINRA is proposing all-public arbitration panels in a rule it’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission next month, following a two-year pilot program.

Vanguard Group plans to simplify its Target Retirement Funds and certain other funds-of-funds in an effort to improve the products’ international diversification.The Valley Forge, Pa., company plans to replace the funds' three underlying international portfolios with a single broad international stock index fund. Vanguard will also increase the overall international equity exposure of these funds.

Putting advisors’ fate in the hands of non-industry participants is dangerous, some argue, while others say the process should be scrapped altogether.

Putnam Investments announced Monday it launched a suite of multi-cap equity funds.

Experts say that the new law could push annuities forward.

Vanguard lowered fees on its Nevada 529 as Fidelity adds bank deposit option to its 529 plans.

When building the book you want, turning down prospects who aren’t a good fit can save both of you a lot of heartache down the line.

Fidelity Investments has added a Bank Deposit Portfolio to its five direct-sold 529 college savings plans: New Hampshire’s UNIQUE College Investing Plan, California’s ScholarShare College Savings Plan, Massachusetts’ U.Fund College Investing Plan, the Delaware College Investment Plan and the Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan.

While municipal market professionals said they do not believe there is systemic risk in state and local government debt, there are underlying issues and credit challenges.

A number of Build America Bond issuers are seeking voluntary closing agreements with the Internal Revenue Service to settle accidental violations of a de minimis premium rule, an IRS official told industry officials in Manhattan yesterday.

President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Act into law on Monday, providing $12 billion in tax breaks and a $30 billion lending fund for small businesses.

The move underscored the difficulty of implementing the Dodd-Frank regulatory reform law, which requires regulators to act independently and in concert with other agencies.

Temenos said late Monday that it will acquire Odyssey Financial Technologies, a supplier of front- and middle-office software for private banking, wealth management and investment management.

Retirement is being rejected by a new breed of wealthy workers.