Investments

Of all of the possible defensive investment choices available, healthcare funds are doing the best, up 2.8% year-to-date, The Wall Street Journal reports. Strong earnings, healthy balance sheets, steady demand and industry consolidation are fortifying the sector, which is even beating telecommunications and consumer staples.

Kimberly Mustin has joined Legg Mason as managing director and head of institutional business, Americas.

Anthony Ryan, Under Secretary of Domestic Finance with the Treasury Department until just last month, will be joining Fidelity Investments to develop new products and strategies.

As investors move to fee-based financial planners, rather than those paid per transaction, those planners have become more comfortable recommending exchange-traded funds, according to Strategic Insight.

Money market fund assets have topped $4 trillion for the first time, greatly buoyed by the Treasury Department’s $1 NAV guarantees and financing to purchase asset-backed commercial paper from money funds, which has eased the credit markets.

John Hancock Expands 401(k) Sales Team by 18

In light of all of the demanding regulations that asset managers now face at a time when the nation is gripped by a financial crisis, not to mention the inevitable additional oversight that the new presidential administration will impose on the financial services industry, chief compliance officers are taking a more critical look than ever before at their resources. One of the obvious solutions to the demands they face is outsourcing, which today has become a mission-critical reality for even the biggest fund complexes.

The mutual fund industry has seen significant changes in the traditional third-party distribution model, especially this past year with the collapse of several major wirehouses and a spate of merger and acquisition activity. Alongside these changes, more broker/dealers are taking on the responsibility for recordkeeping mutual fund subaccounts.

The 17 exchange-traded funds Northern Trust Corp. has decided to close will have plenty of company in the exchange-traded fund graveyard before the year is out, experts predict.

States Offer Savings Accounts for 529 Investors

Morningstar Gives Three Funds 'F' Grades

Senators Reintroduce 401(k) Fee Disclosure Bill

BOSTON - For decades, annuities were shunned by money managers for their high cost and lack of liquidity.

BOSTON - Like gambling addicts who just need one more big win before they cash out, millions of Baby Boomers on the verge of retirement took extremely risky bets with their life savings, hoping to score that big jackpot that would make up for all their past mistakes.

Hedge funds were dogged by steep, albeit somewhat smaller, redemptions in January, HedgeFund.net reported. At positive 0.2%, performance also improved somewhat. Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 8% in January.

Fidelity Investments continues to do a smart job of marketing in this tough economy with the recommendations in the February edition of its Investor’s Quarterly magazine.

FINRA has fined two Wachovia units $4.5 million for failing to pass along breakpoint and rollover discounts for mutual fund and unit investment trust purchases, as well as for suitability violations and inadequate supervisory procedures.

PIMCO has launched the PIMCO Unconstrainted Tax Managed Bond Fund, an actively managed fixed income fund that will invest across all investment classes.

Genworth Financial Wealth Management has selected State Street Global Advisors to run six of its tactical asset allocation portfolios using exchange-traded funds.

ProFunds Group has hired Joanne M. Hill as head of investment strategy. In this new role at the exchange-traded fund shop, Hill is responsible for research, development and execution of investment strategies.