Thomson Financial has partnered with CheckFree Services Corp. to add separately managed account data to the Thomson ONE Advisor portfolio management software for financial advisers. CheckFree's SMA database, which covers 5,000 platforms from 1,300 money managers, represents 90% of the largest investment firms in the nation.

Mellon Financial Corp. hardly sounds done making acquisitions to expand its private wealth management unit, which includes separately managed accounts.

Financial intermediaries often explain to clients that wants and needs are two different animals. But the same holds true for the intermediaries themselves, particularly separately managed account advisers.

Lehman Brothers' acquisition of Neuberger Berman, both of New York, will permit the two firms to diversify and grow their combined $100 billion in assets.

Mutual fund giant Federated Investors has inked a deal to buy the mutual fund assets of Washington-based banking firm Riggs National in a move that would boost Federated's total assets by about $470 million.

Sister companies AIM Investments of Houston and INVESCO Funds Group of Denver, both investment management units of AMVESCAP, the U.K. holding company, are growing closer every day.

Financial Research Corp. (FRC) has contracted with Ibbotson Associates to have Ibbotson analyze its advanced research reports for mutual fund wholesalers and provide five sales ideas for each one. Fund companies can customize each report with their own name and logo.

Eaton Vance Spends $28M For Parametric Portfolio

JPMorgan, the asset management unit of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., has taken sole ownership of its joint venture retirement plan with American Century Investments.

Chicago-based Morningstar has long been well positioned to service 401(k) and other defined contribution plan providers with investment advice. Now, it is reaching into the large plan sponsor arena with its purchase of privately held mPower, a San Francisco company that provides online advice to participants of defined contribution plans.

Victory Capital Management, the asset management division of KeyCorp, will acquire NewBridge Partners, a growth equity investment management firm with $2 billion in assets.

Janus Capital Group Inc. has moved to expand its Asian distribution by signing an agreement to offer its funds through 30 Taiwan banks. The move comes as its assets under management fell again in the first quarter.

Delaware Investments of Philadelphia and Linsco/Private Ledger (LPL Financial) of San Diego and Boston have wrapped up the details of an agreement to partner for a brand new mutual fund wrap program that will launch in September with a $15,000 account minimum.

Northern Trust is selling Northern Trust Retirement Consulting to Hewitt Associates. The division provides 200 companies and more than one million participants with defined benefit, defined contribution, recordkeeping and customer service, including health administration services for retirees.

Faced with its weakest quarterly revenue level in over four years and running out of room to cut costs, Charles Schwab said it would look at other ways to increase income and shore up profits.

Wachovia Corp. agreed to acquire the retirement-services recordkeeping and third-party servicing business of PFPC, a member of The PNC Financial Services Group.

Faced with its weakest quarterly revenue level in over four years and running out of room to cut costs, Charles Schwab said it would look at other ways to increase income and shore up profits.

Margin pressures may hasten the pace of consolidation in the fund industry, indicates a report from Lipper of New York, issued last week.

The Bank of New York (BONY) has just signed managed account deals with insurance giant ING Group and a small North Carolina trust company to expand its managed account niche by supplying products to smaller companies and back-office services to larger ones.

If you ignored the fact that this tale involved mutual funds, it would read more like a soap opera.