Deals & People January 19, 2011

Delaware Investments Expands Retail Distribution Team

Delaware Investments added one regional manager and an external wholesaler to its third-party retail distribution team. 
Reported by

Brett Wright, an 18-year industry veteran, joins the company as the western division sales manager. In this role, Wright manages a dozen wholesalers who deliver Delaware Investments mutual funds and separately managed accounts primarily to the broker/dealer channel. Most recently at ING Investment Management, Wright led the Key Account efforts in the independent broker/dealer group. In addition to ING, he has worked at AXA Equitable, Merrill Lynch, and Lord Abbett.

Alan S. Markfeld is joining the third-party wholesaling team in the West Virginia/Virginia territory.  His 21-year career spans the financial services arena from banking and insurance to asset management.

Want the latest retirement plan adviser news and insights? Sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters.

Both started with the firm on January 18, 2011.

Products January 19, 2011

Schwab Adds Two ETFs

Charles Schwab is offering the Schwab U.S. REIT (SCHH) and the Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap (SCHM) exchange-traded funds.
Reported by

A news release said the newest offerings expand its lineup to 13 equity and fixed income ETFs. They began trading on January 13, 2011.

The funds seek to track, before fees and expenses, the total return of the Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index. As of December 31, 2010, Dow Jones U.S. Select REIT Index had 82 securities and the Dow Jones U.S. Mid-Cap Total Stock Market Index had 495 securities.

Want the latest retirement plan adviser news and insights? Sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters.

The Schwab U.S. REIT ETF (SCHH) may be appropriate for investors seeking to add exposure to both the commercial and residential U.S. real estate markets, providing greater sector diversification than by investing directly in real estate, the company said.

The Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM) can offer long term growth potential and access to the mid-cap segment of the U.S. equity market, giving investors diversified exposure representative of the broader U.S. stock market.

«