Mutual funds

The Department of Labor’s new rule that would permit advisers affiliated with fund companies administering a 401(k) plan to give advice, is drawing fire—so much so that industry observers don’t expect it to last.The rule would permit an adviser to give advice if they either use a computer model that suggests appropriate investments given a person’s age and risk tolerance, or a flat-fee structure whereby they would not stand to benefit more for suggesting one fund over another.In passing the new rule, the DOL said, “Access to professional investment advice is particularly important now for workers as they manage their 401(k) plans and IRAs in changing and volatile financial markets.”One critic, however, is Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, who recently testified that the law is flawed because “it will allow financial services firms to offer potentially conflicted investment advise on workers’ retirement accounts.”Financial planner Chad Griffeth agreed, telling Dow Jones, “The rule does not prevent potential for conflicted advice.“The controversy exists in that the person delivering the advice must adhere to specific fiduciary criteria, but their affiliated firm, whether that’s a broker/dealer, mutual fund company, insurance company or bank, does not,” Griffeth said. “[This] opens the door on the part of brokerage firms and mutual fund firms at the sake of participants, whom I fear wouldn’t know what questions they should ask to ferret out conflicted advice.”

Ellyn McColgan is leaving her post as head of Morgan Stanley's global wealth management unit after less than a year on the job. The news comes in the wake of the announcement of Morgan Stanley's planned joint venture with Smith Barney.

Left to their own devices, 401(k) investors either underweight or overweight their risk tolerance, ending up with a portfolio either loaded up or too light on equities.

The influx of money into Treasuries, combined with record-low interest rates, has driven the yields of Treasury money market funds so low that rather than risk breaking the buck, many funds are now turning away new money, MarketWatch reports.

Judging from the actions of the 11 million participants Fidelity Investment serves through their 401(k)s, investors remain faithful about retirement savings.

As Baby Boomers head toward retirement, they will likely decrease the number of relationships they have with financial institutions and reshape the entire industry, according to new research from the Retirement Income Industry Association.

Regardless of the stock market and the hit most people’s 401(k)s have taken over the past year, it is critical for Americans to be committed to save. That is the message of “America Saves” week, Feb. 22 through March 1.

Janus is exiting the institutional money market fund business. “Given the meaningful changes to the competitive landscape of the institutional cash management business,” said Janus CEO Gary Black, “Janus believes it is in the best interest of our clients to focus its institutional distribution and investment management resources on its core business of long-term equity and fixed-income investing.”

Vanguard has introduced a new, broad market bond fund to be used exclusively by its Target Retirement and LifeStrategy families. The Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund will be benchmarked against the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and is a clone of the $65 billion Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund.

Already, many believe that there is a killing to be made in underpriced mortgage-backed securities. Evidently, one of those investors is PowerShares Capital Management, which has filed two actively managed exchange-traded funds with the SEC. The funds will invest in both prime and alt-a mortgages, but not sub-prime mortgages.

Following the sharp market downturn last year and steep investor redemption, Legg Mason is about to overhaul its entire mutual fund lineup of 142 funds, Matthew Schiffman, head of product and marketing at Legg Mason told The Baltimore Sun. And it’s no wonder, since Schiffman accepted the new position at Legg Mason in November, with the goal of creating a product innovation team.

Baron Appoints Jacobs Chief Distribution Officer

401(k)-Affiliated Advisers May Offer Advice: DOL

BlackRock reported an 84% decline in fourth-quarter income, to $53 million, and full-year 2008 net income of $786 million, a 21% decline. Assets under management only declined negligibly, however, by 3.7% to $1.3 trillion.

Fidelity, Franklin, Legg Mason Suffer Largest Redemptions in 2008

If money managers want to invest in this highly volatile, largely negative financial environment, they must change the way they invest.

Mistakes, bad luck and unexpected events can happen to any firm during good times and bad, but tackling misfortune in a forthright, brutally honest manner rather than trying to sidestep unpleasant truths can mean the difference between a small crisis and a full-blown public relations nightmare.

Fair value reporting seemed anything but fair last October when prices fell off a cliff.

In light of the recent market downturn and the difficult position that has left millions of near-retirees, Charles Schwab has launched a new suite of advice and tools specifically geared to investors within 10 years of retirement, called Real Life Retirement Services. Built as a type of social network, the accompanying website gives investors a place to ask questions and share their own experiences, including a survey that shows them how their retirement expectations compare with their peers.

Despite a more than 40% decline in Chinese funds last year, Toronto-based Manulife Financial is determined to launch a mutual fund business in China before the end of the year.