The popularity of hedge funds, particularly among institutional investors, propelled total assets under management to a record $2 trillion in the first quarter, according to a report from Hedge Fund Research Inc. of Chicago.

It looks like young investors may have been paying attention as the market crash threw baby boomers' futures into disarray.

More money than ever is flowing to mutual funds that buy both stocks and bonds, a sign that individuals are starting to return to equities during the most volatile bull market since at least 1942.

B. Riley FBR initiated equity coverage of the mortgage giant, citing housing finance reform proposals that could result in Fannie and Freddie Mac being released from conservatorship.

The moves are part of an ongoing effort by the Seattle bank to largely exit mortgage lending.

The two banks will each give $15 million to the Foundation for the Carolinas, which supports affordable housing development in Mecklenburg County.

Leaders of the Bank Policy Institute and The Clearing House say their conferences are neither profit centers nor potential conflicts of interest for regulators in response to a recent BankThink piece that describes the meeting as an example of overly cozy relationships between banks and regulators.

A gathering in New York next week demonstrates the pay-to-play culture of high-end banking conferences.

Merely telling employees what to do may get the job done, but telling them why they're doing it fuels engagement.