Investments

Over the next 10 years, advisors will help their clients facilitate the largest wealth transfer in the history of our nation's history and charitable planning will become an increasingly larger and more important part of that service.

Seventy-three percent of annuity owners and 17% of non-owners agreed that annuities are an important part of a retirement strategy, compared to 55% and 8%, respectively a year earlier, according to the survey of investors and financial advisors released at the IRI 2012 Annual Meeting,

"The industry has been in an interesting transformation," said Catherine J. Weatherford, president and CEO of the Insured Retirement Institute. "The financial crisis hit banks rapidly, but for the life insurance industry, it took a while for the issues from the crisis to develop."

Novato, Calif.-based Hennessy Funds moved closer to finalizing its acquisition of FBR Funds, and transferring the assets into various Hennessy funds.

The tax-exempt market ended on a slow note after a week that was described as mostly firmer by traders.

Advisors want more control over clients' managed accounts, and such accounts increasingly tilt towards mutual funds. Judging from recent results, though, the combination of these trends might not be good news for clients.

Risk management and regulatory reporting.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 14.64 points Friday to close at 13,306.64 while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 added 0.61 points and 5.80 points, respectively.

Franklin Templeton has expanded its defined contribution investment only team this year with the addition of four wholesalers.

As the asset management industry evolves, innovative product options are being introduced to compliment traditional pooled vehicles.

Multi-manager shop Virtus Investment Partners has added Rampart Investment Management, which specializes in customized options strategies for institutional and high-net-worth clients, as a wholly owned affiliate of Virtus.

Now you can say it is so: Abigail Johnson last month was named president of Fidelity Investments and, effectively, successor to her father, Edward "Ned" Johnson, chief executive officer of Fidelity Investments.

Herb Morgan has a good barometer to tell how hot the market for exchange-traded funds is getting.

Theresa Hamacher was named to her current position as president of NICSA (the National Investment Company Service Association) in March 2008.

Artio Global Investment Funds last month decided to liquidate four equity funds.

Sudi Mariappa, the former bond head and Managing Director at PIMCO who worked closely with founder Bill Gross, will join GLG, the investment management division of London-based Man Group PLC to manage the firm’s renewed push into fixed-income hedge funds.

Columbus, Ohio-based Huntington Funds has launched the Huntington Income Generation Fund, a fund of funds that will primarily invest in three other Huntington funds.

Loomis Sayles is making a hasty name change to one of its funds after losing out on a federal lawsuit.

Oceans of ink have already been spilled handicapping the presidential candidates' chances, based on how the stock market is doing. Now, let's take a peek at the crystal ball to see how the stock market's sectors will do if President Obama gets another four years, or the country gives the nod to Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

Can it possibly be? Technology stocks are paying the most dividends?