Investments

Employers that automatically enroll their workers in 401(k) plans tend to match their employees’ savings at a lower level than other employers, according to a report from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Janus Capital has selected Richard M. Weil, the former chief operating officer of PIMCO, as chief executive officer.

The insurance giant's new ad campaign tries to capitalize on investors' flight to safety.

Richard M. Weil will replace Gary Black, who resigned suddenly in July as the Denver investment manager continued to suffer heavy outflows.

Retail investors will pay $8.95 per online trade in stocks or non-Schwab ETFs.

This is the latest in a growing list of Roth IRA conversion education tools offered by financial services companies.

The current level of confidence continues to be mostly associated with overall performance of the markets.

As if municipal bond closed-end funds needed any more help, the year-end tax selling that customarily plagues the industry every December took the year off in 2009.

During the market downturn, the only takers for REITs seemed to be institutions, which currently comprise 80% of the owners of REITs. Ten years ago, institutional investors held 40% of all REIT shares.

In a survey of 1,000 people, Putnam Investments found the majority expect the economy to rebound in 2010 but that they are still planning to save more in the New Year.

In a survey of 1,000 people, Putnam Investments found the majority expect the economy to rebound in 2010 but that they are still planning to save more in the New Year.

AQR Capital Management has launched the AQR Managed Futures Strategy Fund to appeal to investors’ and advisers’ increased interest in alternative investments in the wake of the Great Recession. AQR funded the no-load fund, available to retail and institutional investors, with $10 million in seed money.

Bob Doll, global chief investment officer for fundamental equities at BlackRock, said U.S. corporate earnings growth—fueled by productivity gains, expanding markets in the developing world, low inflation and a declining dollar—should jump about 20% this year. As a result, stock prices, as represented on the Standard & Poor’s 500, should rally another 12% from their Jan. 4 open of 1116.56, he said.

Vanguard will pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing it of racial bias against a black financial planning candidate and overall bias in its hiring practices.

Investors’ aversion to stock funds and wholesale embracing of exchange-traded, bond and go-anywhere funds in 2009 may not be an aberration but a true turning point in investor behavior, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Slow growth combined with large debts from the current crisis could set the stage for another crisis by the middle of the decade.

Morningstar has announced its three Fund Managers of the Year for domestic stock, international stock and fixed income.

The unit is expecting double-digit growth as it expands its array of investment products.

A two-year consent decree requires the company to provide more anti-discrimination training for managers and supervisors.

TCW Group and Huntington Funds have both launched emerging markets funds, the TCW Emerging Markets Equities Fund and the Huntington Global Select Markets Fund.