Wealth management

With $4 billion of assets under management, the financial advisory firm James E. Bashaw & Co. does not really need to reach out to new kinds of clients.

Many investors are pouring money into managed futures funds — to the tune of billions last year alone. They have their reasons: Impressive returns through the financial crisis, lower minimum investments and returns that almost never mimic the stock markets'.

Banks reported record insurance brokerage fee income in the first nine months of last year, and part of the reason appears to be that they pushed harder for fee income as other fees came under pressure.

What the Securities and Exchange Commission wants from a new and universal fiduciary standard for the retail investment community, and what will most likely materialize, figure to be two different stories.

For large investment houses and independent financial advisers, this new crop of potential clients — and the commissions they generate — is as elusive as it is exclusive.

Commonwealth Financial Network, which boasts one of the largest fleets of high-end independent advisers, is instituting new rewards for enriching the firm.

The niche-oriented New York company attributes much of the success to investor demand for two of its specialties: gold and hard assets.

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Retail investors in municipal bonds are shaken, but still standing, after a relentless barrage of forecasts of massive municipal bankruptcies and defaults this year.

Easing market conditions helped LPL Financial realize a surge in net new advisers in the fourth quarter, and the company is confident it can continue.

UBS, the Swiss bank that needed a government rescue in 2008, expects to attract more funds from wealthy clients this year after recording a second straight quarterly increase.

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To boost its business in the Northeast, Chicago's Northern Trust has hired three wealth advisers and a wealth strategist.

For a mutual fund with a strong track record, Nicholas Equity Income Fund is not particularly large. And its manager is fine with that.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. is testing Apple's iPad with its annuities sales force.

Municipal bond mutual fund outflows continued to subside last week from recent record-setting levels as the cash most prone to panic appears to have left by now.

The financial advisory industry is overwhelmingly dominated by men, but women at the TD Ameritrade Institutional national conference in San Diego, made their presence known at a women's leadership roundtable on Friday.

Inflation continues to be a key theme in mutual fund firms' product development.

Not long ago, executives at PNC Financial Services gave a heads-up to the bank's advertising firm, Deutsch: Start brainstorming for a new campaign that focuses on investment services.

Citigroup Inc.'s private banking unit plans to set up a social networking site exclusive to the kids of ultrarich Citi clients.