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LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 13, 2009
National Planning Holdings revs up recruiting, drives rep count to all-time high

Although first-half revenue may be down at National Planning Holdings Inc., the independent broker-dealer network has been actively adding to its ranks of registered representatives.

By Darla Mercado
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 13, 2009
Strong sales of annuities boosted Jackson's earnings, top exec says

Jackson National Life Insurance Co., buoyed by robust sales of annuities, saw its first-half sales and deposits reach $6.1 billion, up from $5.94 billion in the first six months of 2008.

By Bloomberg
ALTERNATIVES AUG 12, 2009
Atticus Capital bails out of hedge fund business, will return $3B to investors

Atticus Capital LLC, a New York-based hedge fund shop, is returning $3 billion to investors as the company founder opts out of the hedge fund business, according to a letter sent to shareholders yesterday.

By Jeff Benjamin
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 12, 2009
HSA balances increase for individuals and families

Balances in health savings accounts increased slightly in the first quarter from fourth-quarter-2008 levels, according to data from Canopy Financial Inc.

By Bloomberg
ETFS AUG 11, 2009
Vanguard registers for seven bond ETFs

Vanguard today filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer seven new bond index exchange traded funds in what some industry experts believe to be a direct challenge to iShares, the dominant fixed-income ETF provider.

By David Hoffman
FIXED INCOME AUG 11, 2009
New rules would give muni issuers more control over distribution

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board today proposed new rules aimed at ensuring that municipal bond underwriters honor issuers' wishes to preserve retail investors' access to new bond issues < http://www.msrb.org/msrb1/whatsnew/2009-47.asp>.

By Sara Hansard
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 10, 2009
Mutual insurers weathered downturn better than publicly owned peers, Moody's says

Mutual life insurance companies fared better than their stockholder-owned counterparts in the recent economic tumult, according to a report from Moody's Investors Service.

By Bloomberg
ALTERNATIVES AUG 10, 2009
Hedge fund retreat: Cautious managers take the money and run

Hedge funds lagged the equity markets in July, as many of these alternative asset class managers now appear to be proceeding with caution after several consecutive months of strong gains.

By Jeff Benjamin
ALTERNATIVES AUG 09, 2009
SIGNS OF LIFE EMERGE IN SALES OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

The residential-real-estate market, after virtually falling off a cliff from its apex of a few years ago, is being buoyed by a recent string of positive sales data.

By Jeff Benjamin
ALTERNATIVES AUG 09, 2009
REITs GET READY TO POUNCE ON ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITIES

There's good news and bad news for REITs. The bad news is that real estate stocks tend to be late-stage cyclicals, so analysts don't expect much of a rebound until next year.

By Dan Jamieson
RIA NEWS AUG 09, 2009
Moody's: VA issues weigh on some insurers

Although improving financial markets have helped lift some life insurance carriers, the firms still have a ways to go before they recover fully, according to a report from Moody's Investors Service.

By Darla Mercado
ETFS AUG 09, 2009
Galvin demands answers from firms that sell inverse and leveraged ETFs

Massachusetts regulators sent subpoenas to four brokerage firms July 31 seeking information about the way they sold inverse and leveraged exchange traded funds. The subpoenas were issued weeks after the firms restricted the sale of the products or stopped selling them altogether.

By David Hoffman
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 09, 2009
NFP liability in question after its affiliate is sued

Attorneys and executives at broker-dealer firms are questioning the extent of National Financial Partners Corp.'s potential liability in a civil suit involving a failed life settlement transaction at an NFP affiliate.

By Darla Mercado
MUTUAL FUNDS AUG 09, 2009
Fidelity to trail in assets for the foreseeable future

Despite the improved performance of its mutual funds, Fidelity Investments isn't likely to recapture the crown as the firm that controls the most long-term-fund assets anytime soon.

By David Hoffman
LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 09, 2009
B-Ds reel from higher SIPC fees

New, higher assessments by the Securities Investor Protection Corp. are causing &#8221;sticker shock&#8221; at several broker-dealers, particularly independent-contractor firms.

By Dan Jamieson
ALTERNATIVES AUG 09, 2009
Home sweet home no longer, survey shows

The bloom is off the rose in terms of Americans' attitude toward homeownership, according to a survey from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

By Justin Morgan
MUTUAL FUNDS AUG 09, 2009
Advisers to Putnam: Fee cuts not enough

Although Putnam Investments' decision to lower the management fees for some of its mutual funds &#8212; and to link its fees on others to performance &#8212; didn't go unnoticed by financial advisers, many say that they will hold off putting their clients' money into Putnam's funds until they see signs of improved long-term performance

By Sue Asci
NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME FOR NON-TRADED REITs
ALTERNATIVES AUG 09, 2009
NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME FOR NON-TRADED REITs

In the wake of the historic real estate meltdown, it is easy to make a case for investing in non-traded real estate investment trusts.

By Jeff Benjamin
ALTERNATIVES AUG 09, 2009
HOW MUCH LEVERAGE IS TOO MUCH FOR REITs?

The REIT industry is in the throes of a debate over how much debt is appropriate.

By MFXFeeder
ETFS AUG 07, 2009
ETF assets hit a record $862B worldwide

Exchange traded fund assets worldwide hit an all-time high of $862 billion at the end of July, 7% above the previous record of $805 billion set in April 2008, according to data released today from the London-based research team of Barclays Global Investors in San Francisco.

By David Hoffman