Displaying 201 results
Morgan Stanley hit with $90K fine for muni-bond pricing
Morgan Stanley has agreed to pay a $90,000 fine to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. to settle charges that it traded municipal bonds at unfair prices.
Muni ETFs gain popularity, but are they a good fit?
Exchange-traded funds that invest in municipal bonds are gaining in popularity, but some industry watchers think that mutual funds are a better option.
Promises, promises: Finra probes B-Ds’ retail muni sales practices
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. is investigating whether broker-dealers are meeting their obligations to municipal-bond issuers who seek distribution to retail investors.
Money fund assets rose to $3.483T last week
Total money market mutual fund assets rose $198 million to $3.483 trillion for the week, the Investment Company Institute said Thursday.
Freestyle analyst
Being an investment research analyst during one of the most historic economic downturns can be stressful.
ICI backs Gartenberg standard on fees in Supreme Court case
The Investment Company Institute filed a brief yesterday urging the U.S. Supreme Court to endorse the longtime Gartenberg standard for evaluating claims that a mutual fund's investment advisers have received excessive compensation.
Trade groups spend millions to influence Capitol Hill agenda
Groups representing financial advisers and all facets of the financial services industry spent big bucks lobbying Congress during the second quarter, according to recent filings with the House of Representatives' Office of the Clerk.
33% of household assets held in retirement accounts, ICI reports
Americans held $13.4 trillion in retirement assets at the end of the first quarter, accounting for 33% of all household assets in the United States, the Investment Company Institute reported today.
Investment Company Institute: 401(k) plans rich in low-cost mutual funds
Low-cost mutual funds make up most of the assets in 401(k) plans, according to a study released yesterday by the Investment Company Institute, a Washington-based industry trade group.
Muni analysts want more issuer disclosure
The recently issued SEC proposal to expand issuer disclosure in the $2.7 trillion municipal-securities market doesn't go far enough, say muni-bond analysts and the mutual fund industry.
Municipal bonds thrive despite states’ deep economic woes
Although state and local governments across the country face staggering budget deficits, their struggles are having little effect on municipal-bond prices.
Two new munis and a swaps recap
Through the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the government has created Build America Bonds.
Advisers, investors call for reinstating uptick rule
Highlighting investor concern about the market effects of short selling, more than 3,000 comments have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on proposed changes to the short-sale rule.
MSRB readies new muni disclosure system
The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's revamped municipal-bond disclosure system, set to go live next month, won't be quite the panacea for disclosure that regulators hope, according to some observers.
ICI says 401(k) legislation would set a ‘dangerous precedent’
The Investment Company Institute blistered a House bill under consideration that would require detailed 401(k) plan fee disclosures and require plan administrators to offer a least one low-cost index fund to plan participants.
Treasury guarantees carry more risks than benefits
The real and potential risks of federalizing municipal-bond insurance far outweigh any potential benefits.
Investors yank cash from money market funds
Wary investors have been steadily moving assets out of safe — but incredibly low-yielding — money market mutual funds in significant numbers since the U.S. markets bounced off of their lows in early March.
SEC to propose major overhaul of money funds
The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering a list of regulations for money market funds that goes far beyond proposed reforms issued in March by the Investment Company Institute.
Bill to defer taxes on reinvested mutual fund dividends seeks traction
A bill to defer taxation on dividends that are reinvested in mutual funds has received support from the Investment Company Institute.
New regs for money funds may hamper yields, report says
Expect lower yields from money market mutual funds in the coming months as a result of reforms being contemplated by the SEC and Investment Company Institute, according to a white paper released this month and announced today by Capital Advisors Group Inc. of Newton, Mass.
