Practice management

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro said in a speech on Friday that she personally backs a blanket fiduciary standard for advisors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has suspended a CPA who was the former senior treasury manager and assistant treasurer at Peregrine Systems, a California enterprise management software company that was charged in 2003 with massive financial fraud.

Passing regulatory reform legislation, a grueling effort that has taken more than a year of debate, is just a warm-up for an even tougher fight over the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Bank of America is still the top wealth manager, followed by UBS. Morgan Stanley moved up four slots after buying the Smith Barney business from Citi, followed by Wells Fargo, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and Royal Bank of Canada, a new entry on the list.

Rich Linton was hired as head of business retirement solutions and Steve Ulian as head of institutional retirement and benefits solutions, the Charlotte, N.C., banking company said in an internal memo Thursday.

The discount broker-dealer for investment advisers has launched an electronic platform that it hopes will appeal to investors in the municipal market.

While using technology, advisors expect aggressive growth over the next five years, according to a Schwab study.

As boomers try to stabilize their retirement assets, should they put their home in play?

Advisors with a sympathetic ear can find planning opportunities helping wealthy clients worried about higher taxes and market uncertainty.

UBS Wealth Management Americas struck an agreement with Richard Bernstein Advisors, a specialist in long-term, macro research.

State Street Corp. has sued three of its former executives for creating a new rival in securities lending.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is not waiting for regulatory reform's enactment to develop plans for a new resolution system.

According to a report, S&P 500 defined pension plans rose to 81.65% from 78.1% a year earlier, but remains significantly underfunded by $260 billion.

Bring in Michael Bloomberg. He's going to be available in three more years. Tap him now, as the next SEC chairman.

The financial reform legislation does little to ensure accountability among regulators, who so far have appeared more interested in deflecting blame.

Investment advisers may face tough compliance issues in the wake of the Securities and Exchange Commission's unanimous adoption last week of rules designed to prevent IAs from making political contributions to elected officials to obtain business from state and local pension funds, investment pools and college-savings accounts.

Sen. Maria Cantwell announced late Thursday that she intends to support regulatory reform, giving a boost to the bill's prospects in the Senate, which plans to take up the legislation later this month when Congress returns from a Fourth of July recess.

WASHINGTON — The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday unanimously adopted rules designed to prevent investment advisers from making political contributions to elected officials to obtain business from state and local pension funds, investment pools and college savings accounts.

Bankers and some lawmakers reacted with a mix of uncertainty and outrage on Wednesday after the conference committee opted to raise deposit insurance premiums on large institutions in an effort to pay the costs of the regulatory reform bill.

The House passed a mammoth financial reform bill late Wednesday 237 to 192, sending the bill to the Senate, which is not expected to act until later this month.