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LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES MAR 26, 2007
‘Probe and disturb’ viewed as key to one firm’s tactics

Nobody ever accused companies that push annuities on older Americans of being subtle.

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION MAR 26, 2007
State regulators defend their authority vigorously

State securities regulators are worried that the recent emphasis on making U.S. capital markets more competitive could lead to the pre-emption of their power by federal regulators.

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION MAR 26, 2007
SEC soon may file its first privacy case

The Securities and Exchange Commission is getting close to bringing a first-of-its-kind privacy case against a broker-dealer for using client data in the account transfer process, and industry attorneys said that the SEC is investigating similar cases against as many as a dozen other firms.

MUTUAL FUNDS MAR 26, 2007
Labor Department weighs in on fee brouhaha

WASHINGTON — The Department of Labor has put the issue of enhanced 401(k) fee disclosure on its agenda, a move that could take some of the wind out of the sails of a legislative threat.

INDUSTRY NEWS MAR 26, 2007
Hiring based on short term may be shortsighted

BOSTON — Institutional investors that shun potential money manager candidates because of below-median returns could be lowering their odds of picking a long-term winner, research from investment consultant DiMeo Schneider & Associates LLC shows.

RETIREMENT PLANNING MAR 26, 2007
IBM advice offering to 401(k) participants signals trend

NEW YORK — IBM Corp.’s announcement that it will offer financial planning services to all 127,000 of its U.S. employees is the biggest sign yet that companies are increasingly interested in providing workers with more individual — and effective — counseling on financial topics.

INDUSTRY NEWS MAR 26, 2007
Contracts a guard for bond investors’ rainy days

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — For fixed-income investors, few words cause more fear in the over-the-counter-credit-derivatives market and its whopping $26 trillion notional value than “default” and “bankruptcy.”

INDUSTRY NEWS MAR 26, 2007
Institutions beginning to handle volatility by trading it

LONDON — If you can’t beat it, trade it. That approach toward volatility is increasingly making inroads among institutional investors, including pension funds such as the $275 billion Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP of Heerlen, Netherlands.

INDUSTRY NEWS MAR 26, 2007
Fiscally, the Tories’ budget is, well, conservative

By OTTAWA — The minority Conservative government’s budget, released last Monday, drew immediate fire from two Canadian opposition parties, the Liberals and New Democrats.

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION MAR 26, 2007
Contract boils down Fed action to ‘yea’ or ‘nay’

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — For asset managers, forecasting whether the Federal Reserve will cut U.S. interest rates for the first time in four years might become a little easier, thanks to a budding derivatives contract.

WIREHOUSES MAR 23, 2007
Merrill bars non-clients from research

Merrill Lynch & Co. analysts are mad as hell that people are simultaneously belittling and stealing their investment ideas, according to Crain's New York Business.

WIREHOUSES MAR 21, 2007
OptionsXpress reshuffles execs

OptionsXpress Holdings Inc. announced today that it promoted its chief financial officer to the role of president and its chief operating officer to the role of executive vice-chairman, according to published reports.

WIREHOUSES MAR 21, 2007
Morgan Stanley profits soar 69%

Morgan Stanley today posted a 69% increase in first-quarter profits on strong advisory fees from higher trading levels and increased investment banking fees.

WIREHOUSES MAR 19, 2007
Wachovia launches 4front client loyalty program

IRVINE, Calif. — In an expected move, Wachovia Securities LLC this month launched a client loyalty program called 4front.

INDUSTRY NEWS MAR 19, 2007
Advisers, managers comb economic statistics for clues

NEW YORK — Just as Federal Reserve monetary policymakers will use economic data to determine what to do with the federal funds rate this week, financial advisers and asset managers rely on such data to pick investments.

INDUSTRY NEWS MAR 19, 2007
Accountants group weighs in on Canadian securities cop

OTTAWA — The Certified General Accountants Association of Canada has addressed the subject of a national securities regulator and has offered up suggestions about how it should work.

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION MAR 19, 2007
Compatibility of pension funds, hedge funds questioned at hearing

WASHINGTON — The possibility of limiting pension fund involvement in hedge funds was raised last week by legislators and hedge fund industry representatives at a hearing on Capitol Hill on how much risk hedge funds pose for financial markets.

WIREHOUSES MAR 19, 2007
Merrill seeks to expand in India

Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. is planning to increase the scope of its Indian private banking business, with a focus on providing financial services to that country’s growing wealthy population, according to the Economic Times in India.

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION MAR 19, 2007
Opponents of SRO merger are keeping the faith

Opponents of a merger between the regulatory operations of NASD and the New York Stock Exchange haven’t given up on their efforts to stop the deal.

BROKER DEALERS MAR 19, 2007
Indies are too tempting to be ignored

Intrigued wirehouse executives who are looking for a change are beginning to check out independent-contractor broker-dealers, and what they see interests them more and more, industry executives, consultants and recruiters say.