Investing

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INVESTING ALTERNATIVES AUG 25, 2009
Index shows home prices increase from 1Q to 2Q

Home prices across most of the U.S. have started to rise from the depths of the housing slump, a pivotal trend that will help stabilize the broader economy, according to new figures released today.

By Bloomberg
INVESTING MUTUAL FUNDS AUG 25, 2009
Money market funds may suffer when federal backstops expire, J. P. Morgan exec fears

Money market mutual funds would benefit from a federal program to guard against the risk of illiquidity in the markets, analysts yesterday at the first Money Fund Symposium in Providence, R.I.

By Sue Asci
INVESTING LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 25, 2009
Hancock luring indies, ramps rep count up to nearly 2,000

Though rep recruitment is up at the John Hancock Financial Network since the firm decided to embrace the independent adviser channel, recruiters remain skeptical as to whether independents will continue to flock to the company.

By Darla Mercado
INVESTING ETFS AUG 24, 2009
Pimco unveils 1-5 year TIPS exchange traded fund

It is not the first exchange traded fund to invest in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, but the TIPS ETF launched today by Pacific Investment Management Co. of Newport Beach, Calif., may quickly become the fan favorite, according to a Morningstar anaylst.

By David Hoffman
INVESTING MUTUAL FUNDS AUG 24, 2009
Money fund assets 'bleed out' as low interest rates persist, managers say

The continued zero interest rate environment may be presenting a bigger challenge to money market mutual fund managers than rule changes <a href= http://tinyurl.com/lom2a4>proposed </a> by the Securities and Exchange Commission, several managers told participants today at the Money Fund Symposium in Providence, R.I.

By Sue Asci
INVESTING LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 24, 2009
Individual and variable annuity sales tumbled in 2Q, LIMRA reports

Total individual-annuity sales tumbled during the second quarter as carriers' new business slowed and fixed-annuity interest rates fell, although sales for all fixed annuities fared better, according to data from LIMRA.

By Darla Mercado
INVESTING LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 23, 2009
Phoenix unveils policy dubbed 'first-to-die'

A new life insurance product from The Phoenix Cos. Inc. covers two lives under one policy, providing a death benefit for a spouse or business partner.

By Darla Mercado
INVESTING LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 23, 2009
Advisers at peace with NAIC proposal for more annuity rules

Although members of the insurance industry and some broker-dealer executives are butting heads with state regulators on tougher annuity regulation, financial advisers cheered the proposed use of Finra-esque suitability layers for all annuity sales.

By Darla Mercado
INVESTING LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 23, 2009
Falling fixed-income values seen hurting insurers, survey finds

The declining value of fixed-income portfolios in a climate of rising interest rates will hinder life insurers' performance over the next two years.

By Darla Mercado
INVESTING ALTERNATIVES AUG 23, 2009
Some fear brouhaha over ETFs could spill over

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission inserted themselves into the debate surrounding controversial, non-traditional exchange traded funds last week &#8212; a debate that could harm the entire ETF sector, according to some industry insiders.

By David Hoffman
INVESTING MUTUAL FUNDS AUG 23, 2009
Fund giants Fidelity, Vanguard and others turn up lobbying

Fidelity Investments of Boston spent $940,000 &#8212; both directly and via third-party firms &#8212; during the second quarter to lobby lawmakers in Washington on financial regulatory reform, retirement, taxes and other issues, according to recent filings with the House of Representatives' Office of the Clerk.

By David Hoffman
INVESTING FIXED INCOME AUG 23, 2009
Scared investors flock to TIPS as inflation hedge

Inflation fears and attractive returns are driving demand for Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities.

By Sue Asci
INVESTING ALTERNATIVES AUG 21, 2009
July home sales surge more than 7%

By D Hampton
INVESTING ETFS AUG 21, 2009
Fidelity: 'No plans' to expand ETFs

Even as ETFs continue to take market share away from mutual funds and gain more popularity with retail investors and advisers, officials for Fidelity Investments are maintaining that the fund giant is unlikely to expand its proprietary exchange traded fund lineup.

By Sue Asci
INVESTING MUTUAL FUNDS AUG 21, 2009
Money fund assets fell to $3.581T in latest week

Total money market mutual fund assets fell by $12.07 billion to $3.581 trillion for the week, the Investment Company Institute said yesterday.

By Bloomberg
INVESTING ETFS AUG 20, 2009
ProShares gives investors another way to bet against U.S. Treasurys

ProShares Advisors LLC announced today the launch of a third exchange traded fund that lets investors bet on a downturn in long-term U.S. Treasury bonds.

By Jeff Benjamin
INVESTING LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 20, 2009
Rep. Henry Waxman asks Genworth, Guardian Life and MetLife for details on executives' pay

Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, is asking executives at Genworth Financial Inc., The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and MetLife Inc. to produce details on executives' pay.

By Darla Mercado
INVESTING ALTERNATIVES AUG 20, 2009
Regulator seeks tighter derivatives bill

A key federal regulator is asking lawmakers to tighten legislation imposing broad new oversight on derivatives by going beyond the Obama administration's proposal in several areas governing the complex financial instruments blamed for hastening the global economic crisis.

By Bloomberg
INVESTING LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES AUG 20, 2009
AIG names Jay Wintrob president and CEO of its new life and retirement services business

American International Group Inc. has named Jay S. Wintrob president and chief executive of its Domestic Life and Retirement Services business.

By Darla Mercado
S&P gives low marks to active domestic equity funds
INVESTING EQUITIES AUG 20, 2009
S&P gives low marks to active domestic equity funds

Actively managed domestic equity mutual funds underperformed their benchmarks for the past five years, according to Standard &amp; Poor's Index vs. Active Fund Scorecard released today.

By Jeff Nash