News

Bank of America announced John Thiel will be replacing Lyle LaMothe as head of Merrill Lynch U.S. Wealth Management. 

Schwab Advisor Services tracked 23 merger and acquisition deals among registered investment advisers (RIAs) in the first quarter of 2011.  

Commonwealth Financial Network has partnered with Erado Message Control to offer advisers a social media compliance solution. 

National Advisors Trust Company has partnered with Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (AAM), an investment partner for broker/dealers and advisers with fixed income securities solutions. 

National Advisors Trust announced an agreement with EPIC Advisors, Inc. to provide a branded 401(k) program with open-architecture and daily valuation services to its shareholder adviser firms.

A free 401(k) fee calculator on AARP’s Web site aims to help investors better understand 401(k) fees and their potential impact on retirement savings.

More than seven in ten 401(k) plan participants said they do not pay fees to plan providers in a recent AARP survey.

UBS Investment Bank announced that it added to its suite of E-TRACS exchange-traded notes (ETNs) an E-TRACS linked to the Wells Fargo Business Development Company (BDC) Index.

ING DIRECT USA’s broker/dealer subsidiary, ShareBuilder Securities Corporation, will be renamed ING DIRECT Investing, Inc.

The mysterious disappearance of a checked baggage may soon be a thing of the past.  

Mutual of Omaha said it will begin offering a plan-level fiduciary service option to its retirement plan customers.

The College Savings Plans Network (CSPN) reports that assets under management in 529 plans increased 11.5% in 2010 net of contributions and distributions.

Aberdeen Asset Management surveyed financial advisers and found that more than 75% would like more information on closed-end funds.  

Transamerica surveyed benefits directors and found that many believe their organizations do not do enough to help employees make critical decisions at the point of retirement.

Millennium Brokerage Group launched Physicians 401k, a multiple employer plan (MEP) designed for physicians and their practices.

Russell Investments launched the Advisor Health Index, a tool that provides financial advisers with a high-level "health" assessment of their practice in comparison to other advisory firms.

State Street Corporation announced that Charles Cooper has joined the company as senior managing director of State Street’s eExchange derivatives program.

National Advisors Trust Company has added Envestnet UMA – a customizable unified managed account solution – to its platform for registered investment advisers (RIAs).

Affluent investors in the Gen X demographic – between the ages of 29 and 44 – using advisers saw significantly less growth in their portfolios last year than those...

I read with interest about Putnam Investments’ recent success with its online Lifetime Income Analysis Tool—a tool that projects how much income a participant’s savings may generate in...