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Money Management Executive

50 Funds Will Have Facebook Shares

Feb 3, 2012 – Morningstar research finds that 50 mutual funds have stakes in Facebook. Here’s who has them.

The Hidden Jewel in ETFs: Bullion

Feb 3, 2012 – Since its inception in November 2004, the average annual return of State Street Gold Shares has been 18.72%. By comparison, the S&P 500 has returned half of 1% a year in that time.

Stock Issuers Get Electronic Connection to Investors

Feb 3, 2012 – An investment bank has launched DirectMarkets, a first-of-its-kind platform that directly links stock issuers with investors, in primary offerings of securities.

401(k) Savings Picked Up in Q4 and 2011

Feb 3, 2012 – Bank of America Merrill Lynch said that it saw increased 401(k) savings through its plan sponsors both in the fourth quarter and 2011 year, signaling a positive outlook for the tweaks it has made to its offerings and confidence in the overall economy.

Arbitration Panel Orders Merrill Lynch to Pay $1.4M To Investor

Feb 3, 2012 – An arbitration panel has ordered Merrill Lynch to pay an investor $1.4 million in a case that called into question the value of the collateralized loan obligation investments the firm sold.

Fidelity? Sex, Drugs and Financial Education, from Ronald O'Hanley

Feb 2, 2012 – Ronald O'Hanley has emerged as an outspoken force inside Fidelity Investments, giving a speech on Thursday that touched on sex, drugs and revolution as he warned that young Americans face getting a raw deal from the U.S. retirement system.

Yield Chasing, Transparency Top FINRA's 2012 Priorities

Feb 2, 2012 – FINRA has outlined its 2012 watch list of business and sales practices aimed at consumers, citing a challenging economic environment that would tempt investors to buy investments with promises of huge returns.

Labor Department Changes Tack on 401(k) Fee Disclosure

Feb 2, 2012 – The U.S. Labor Department has removed a controversial part of its proposed 401(k) fee disclosure rule that would have required retirement plan providers to create a summary document, or "roadmap," of all their fees for employers.

Prudential Ushers in Fresh Set
of Target-date Fund Providers

Feb 2, 2012 – Prudential Retirement is now offering J.P. Morgan SmartRetirement Target Date Strategies and Fidelity VIP (Variable Insurance Product) Freedom Funds in its line-up of target-date funds with a guaranteed lifetime income component.

iShares ETFs to Offer Access to Global Energy Producers

Feb 2, 2012 – BlackRock announced today that its iShares Exchange Traded Funds has launched five funds focused on commodity producers. The funds offer the benefit of access to companies involved in the production of commodities without the costs found in commodity ownership.

Deutsche Boerse: It’s a Black Day for Europe

Feb 1, 2012 – NYSE Euronext said it would focus on its “standalone strategy,’’ while Deutsche Boerse declared this a ‘black day’ after the European Commission prohibited the merger of the two exchange operators.

EU Stops Deutsche Boerse-NYSE Merger

Feb 1, 2012 – Antitrust regulators in Europe stopped the merger of Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext on Wednesday, saying the combined group would have a stranglehold on the listed European futures market and would thwart new entrants.

Fama & French's 3 Factors Used to Analyze Funds

Feb 1, 2012 – An investment research and consulting company said it is releasing a suite of software tools for analyzing mutual funds based on the “three-factor” model of University of Chicago finance professor Eugene Fama and Dartmouth College professor Kenneth French.

Franklin Resources Assets Up 2% at Year End

Feb 1, 2012 – Franklin Templeton Investments ended the year with total assets under management of $670.3 billion, up $10.4 billion, or 2%, during the quarter.

Mutual Funds Gain Ground Across the Board

Feb 1, 2012 – Inflows picked up 68% to $11.6 billion, from the $6.9 billion posted the week before.