Investments

Along with turnkey asset management programs, which allow advisers to outsource functions such as manager research, portfolio construction and performance reporting in order to gain operational and cost efficiencies, unified managed accounts are gaining popularity.

T. Rowe Price was named the Best Overall Fund Group for large companies at the 2010 U.S. Lipper Fund Awards ceremony held March 24 in New York.

A new investment firm is promising to shake up the way Americans invest by providing individuals with direct access to institutionally priced mutual funds and other investments.

Charles Schwab filed arguments in federal court in San Francisco to try to preclude the Securities and Exchange Commission from suing it over its YieldPlus fund. Once one of the biggest short-term bond funds in the world, with $13.5 billion at its peak in 2007, YieldPlus lost 35%, before dividends, in 2008 due to high exposure to mortgage-backed securities, which comprised nearly 50% of its portfolio. Today, a mere shell of its former self, it stands at $184 million.

Recovery to Exceed Expectations: Barclays

As technology has become more advanced financial advisors have turned their attention to unified managed accounts to oversee all of their affluent clients’ assets, a trend that many in the industry think is here to stay.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is concerned that some mutual funds and actively managed and leveraged ETFs, in particular, may be investing too heavily in swaps and derivatives.

Institutional investors are warming to a market many now see as priced right, and an economy that they believe will be revived by corporate spending, even if unemployment fears keep consumers from opening their wallets.

Local budget cuts over the next couple of years will be drastic enough that the role of government in our lives will be re-examined.

The SEC doesn’t yet require insurers to register indexed annuities, but wirehouse reps prefer it, ING CEO Ford said.

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Manhattan has refused to dismiss class action claims filed by local governments alleging that Wells Fargo & Co. and 15 other banks, broker-dealers and investment brokers conspired to rig bids and fix prices of guaranteed investment and derivatives contracts in the municipal market.

Ambac postponed the release of its 4Q and year-end earnings last week due to ongoing discussions with counterparties

T. Rowe Price was named the Best Overall Fund Group for large companies at the 2010 U.S. Lipper Fund Awards ceremony held March 24 in New York.

Because Apple hasn’t even launched the iPad tablet yet and most publishers and marketing firms still don’t have completed apps, which Apple must first approve, there are many unanswered questions about how it works for readers and advertisers alike.

NEW YORK—ING Solutions Funds Portfolio Manager Paul Zemsky has been bullish about the economy since the second quarter of last year and he expects strong growth to continue.

Most major equity markets rallied in February, driving the Morningstar 1000 Hedge Fund Index up 0.3%. The Morningstar MSCI Hedge Fund Index eked out small returns as well, up 0.7%.

Despite strong market returns last year, a majority of financial advisers have found that their clients will have to work three to five years longer to maintain their standard of living during their retirement, according to a survey.

As the global market crawls out of the recession, the rapid proliferation of narrowly focused exchange-traded funds, which slowed as markets crumbled in the past two years, is beginning to gain momentum again.

When it comes to making investment decisions, the wealthy “seem very self confident and will turn to their peers before turning to advisers,” according to the Knight Frank/Citi Private Bank’s Global Wealth Report 2010.

WASHINGTON — President Obama's successful fight to pass healthcare reform has given a bill to revamp the financial system a dramatic boost, lawmakers from both parties said Wednesday.