NEW YORK — UBS Wealth Management Americas plans to increase its U.S. financial adviser headcount by about 150 this year after accounting for attrition, the company confirmed late Friday.

UBS Wealth Management Americas has continued its hiring streak with new appointments in Ohio and California.

Advisers in general are back in the pink, making more money, gathering more assets under management and generally feeling upbeat about their prospects.

Lawmakers still have a long way to go before enacting housing finance reform, but the testimony could signal how future legislative talks will play out.

Low unemployment and the promise of millions of new jobs have some in the industry seeing a chance to increase membership and lending in the Lone Star State.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency in recent years has required Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to contribute to the funds every March, but has yet to make a 2019 request. Housing groups see the delay as a troubling sign.

Though a handful of banks have adopted overdraft fee reforms, a great many consumers still need the protection that legislation targeting abusive practices would provide, writes a staff attorney for the National Consumer Law Center.

It's a mistake to assume that potential customers recall long-ago sales interactions. You must refresh their memories.

"Voluntary changes are not enough to assure that our lowest-income consumers will be protected in the long run," writes the Democratic House member from New York City.