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In its long-awaited concept release on the proxy “plumbing” process, the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday sought public comment on making changes to the proxy voting and distribution system but fell far short of advocating any major overhaul.

Joan McKown, who has worked for the SEC since 1986, plans to join Washington-based law firm Jones Day.

If the fund management industry thinks it’s gotten away scot-free on the Dodd-Frank financial regulation reform bill—and several senior fund executives went on the record last week to say it has no impact—the industry’s got another thing coming.

The San Diego-based company, which announced it was going public in June, hopes to expand its network of financial advisors.

Reports by EBRI and LIMRA suggest a looming retirement income crisis could still be averted in some cases by advisor intervention.

FINRA plans to significantly expand the information it provides via its free online tool, BrokerCheck, in the coming months.

According to an Ernst & Young 2010 survey, which was recently released, 72% of global banking executives reported that regulatory uncertainty was the biggest challenge around risk management faced by their organizations and 80% say costs to manage new regulations are going to rise.

Thomas G. McLoughlin is stepping down from his role as president and chief executive officer at National Public Finance Guarantee Corp. to join UBS Financial Services as head of its municipal research division.

International investment managers from across the spectrum have cast a dark shadow on the prospective effects for inflation and commercial real estate, but they are optimistic toward gains in currency and the U.S. and Asian equity markets, however.

Deutsche Bank hired Jeffrey Mayer as head of global markets for North America, managing the bank’s sales and trading business in the region, the bank said Tuesday.

Barring any unforeseen upheavals, Democrats have the assurances they need to secure the 60 votes needed for Senate passage of the Dodd-Frank bill.

Twelve percent more fund managers surveyed this month by Bank of America Merrill Lynch forecast that the global economy will deteriorate in the next 12 months, than said the economy would grow. Last month, the net result of the survey was that, on balance, 24% more fund managers predicted the global economy would pick up steam, than lose it.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said they are more concerned about their finances today than they were at the beginning of the financial crisis.

An age-old standard, gold, was one of the most touted alternative investments at the Morningstar 2010 Investment Conference in Chicago last month.

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro said ishe personally backs a blanket fiduciary standard for advisers.

The sovereign debt crisis coupled with persistently high unemployment rates in the United States and continued fears over the 2008 financial meltdown has rocked investor confidence, so much so that investor mood has completely turned around in the past month.

JPMorgan Asset Management has named George Gatch, currently CEO of its mutual funds business, as the new head of investment management services for the U.S. and Canada. He is effectively replacing Eve Guernsey, who is retiring, the firm confirmed Monday.

Mark H. Kordes, who had led wealth planning services in the U.S. for UBS, left the firm last week, company officials confirmed Tuesday.

This transaction is part of Citi’s strategy to reduce its assets and businesses within Citi Holdings, its portfolio of non-core operating businesses and assets. Citi said that it plans to continue to divest non-core assets.

As a result of stock market declines and lower interest rates, the funding status of the average U.S. corporate pension plan declined to its lowest level since February 2009.