Investments

Although there were sharp disagreements at a Treasury Department conference Tuesday about what kind of role the government should take in the future of housing finance, one idea in particular seems to be gaining momentum: creating an insurance fund to back mortgage-backed securities. future-of-housing-finance

Investors are more optimistic this month about the economy than they were last month, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Fixed annuities drag the overall numbers down, but variable annuity sales are growing at a healthy clip.

Ameriprise Financial Inc. plans to reduced the lineup of mutual funds run by Columbia Management, but step up marketing and add jobs, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

The new vehicle comes less than three years after the close of its predecessor, which is already showing a 13% IRR.

Edward Jones, a St. Louis-based brokerage firm, announced Monday that it has added 12 model portfolio to its mutual fund and exchange-traded fund advisory program.

BlackRock Inc., the world's largest money manager, said on Monday it will buy Taiwanese fund management firm Primasia Investment Trust.ust.

The New York money manager plans to acquire Primasia Investment Trust Co. to enter Taiwan's domestic mutual fund market.

The St. Louis brokerage firm added 12 model portfolios to its mutual fund and exchange-traded fund advisory program, Edward Jones Advisory Solution.

Retail demand for municipal bonds continued to surge last week as mutual funds that invest in state and local government debt posted their second biggest weekly inflow of the year.

Martin Kanefsky, the former owner and chief executive officer of a Great Neck, N.Y.-based firm that helped municipal issuers secure guaranteed investment contracts for their bond proceeds, pleaded guilty to participating in two separate fraud conspiracies as well as wire fraud, the Justice Department announced Thursday night.

Fund flows in July offered mixed messages regarding investors’ appetite toward risk.

Computer-coding error in quant strategy appears to be cause for the firing.

Vanguard has dropped AXA Rosenberg Group as a sub-advisor of the Vanguard Explorer, Vanguard U.S. Value and Vangaurd Market Neutral funds, replacing the oversight with its own Quantitative Equity Group, Vanguard said Thursday.

The new product will focus on credit opportunities in emerging markets.

International ETFs hauled in $22.6 billion, while fixed-income remains an investor staple, with a $5.9 billion gain.

Congressman Richard Neal, D-Mass., has introduced legislation that would allow companies to set up automatic payroll deposit Individual Retirement Accounts, or Auto IRAs, for workers who do not have access to employer-provided qualified pension plans.

Since the beginning of the year, Wall Street firms, trade associations, and municipal bond issuers have significantly stepped up their lobbying efforts to get lawmakers to extend the Build America Bonds program before it expires at the end of December.

Hedge fund performance in July lagged behind the equity markets in July, according to the Hennessee Group, an advisor to hedge fund investors.

WASHINGTON — Since the beginning of the year, Wall Street firms, trade associations, and municipal bond issuers have significantly stepped up their lobbying efforts to get lawmakers to extend the Build America Bonds program before it expires at the end of December.