Mutual funds

Building a successful fund requires a distinguishable brand, an effective marketing strategy, and a commitment to distribution support.

Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch has capped off the summer with a round of hires from Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management has rehired a former BNY Mellon veteran to oversee the business strategy for the wealth management business and spearhead the expansion of the sales force, the firm announced Tuesday.

Growth from both retail and institutional investors has been steady in what is now called ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues.

The country’s 20th-largest independent broker has a new name and a new pitch to independent advisors.

Oppenheimer & Co., a unit of Oppenheimer Holdings announced the appointment of Doron Barness to Head of New York Institutional Equity Sales Trading, working out of the firm's New York headquarters.

The "do it yourself" investor crowd is not exactly new. But now it has a newfound source of power. A new tool on the market from Motif Investing makes it easier than ever for individual investors to create their own ETF-like investment funds.

Morningstar today published its inaugural issue of Financial Services Observer, a research report examining the competitive shifts in the U.S. wealth management industry, companies responses to industry changes following the financial crisis, and which companies Morningstar equity analysts think are poised to be a boon for shareholders.

Bloomberg -- Bank of America Corp. is seeking approval of a $160 million settlement from a judge who thrice rejected requests by black financial advisers at its Merrill Lynch unit to sue as a group over alleged racial discrimination.

The modern version of balanced funds, these portfolios continue to make inroads with investors.

Advisors should be leery of the fads in mutual fund strategies, warns a top Morningstar analyst.

Huntington announced today that Gregory A. Smith was named president of Cincinnati-based Haberer Registered Investment Advisor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Huntington National Bank. Smith will report to Steven Short, executive vice president and director of Huntington Wealth Advisors.

Bloomberg -- Brokers face restrictions on using clients’ assets as collateral for other trades, as part of a push by global regulators to prevent the securities lending market from sparking chain reactions that could cause a crisis.

Morningstar announced yesterday that Vickie Tillman has been hired as president of Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC and is scheduled to begin on Sept. 3.

OppenheimerFunds and Putnam Investments are among the winners of the 2013 NOVA Awards, which recognize innovation in the investment management industry.

OppenheimerFunds announced the extension of its senior loan investing franchise with the launch of the Oppenheimer Senior Floating Rate Plus Fund (SFR PLUS). This actively-managed fund offers investors access to the same experienced team as the firm's original Senior Floating Rate Fund (SFR).

Over the past 20 years, exchange traded funds have experienced astounding growth. There are now about 1,400 ETFs in the U.S. and 4,800 globally, according to statistics from BlackRock. The bulk of ETF assets (about $1.4 trillion) are based in the U.S., with total global assets hovering around $2 trillion.

BLOOMBERG -- BlackRock Inc. (BLK), the world’s biggest money manager, won dismissal of a lawsuit brought by two pension funds that accused the company of collecting “grossly excessive” compensation from securities-lending returns linked to iShares Inc.

Get ready for a new wave of low-cost, online-only financial advice companies.

A reincarnated version of an annuity that never gained much traction in the marketplace is finding fans among seekers of retirement income.