Wealth management

Many investment industry leaders worry that the proposed 401(k) fee-disclosure regulations being pushed through Congress would actually increase the fees investors pay — and their confusion.

The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund said it has voted to lower the minimum asset requirement for its charitable investment adviser program to $250,000 from $1 million.

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. announced that Roger W. Crandall will become chief executive officer on Jan. 1.

Even the biggest drop in consumer prices in six decades cannot dissuade the world's biggest bond investors from buying protection from inflation.

Sustainable Asset Management launched the SAM Sustainable Global Active Fund, which selects stocks based on economic, social and environmental factors.

First Citizens Capital Management, a unit of First Citizens Bancorp. of Columbia, S.C., has launched Capital Manager, a wealth management platform.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. has a new online derivatives trading platform.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney has recruited nine financial advisers from UBS Wealth Management US and added two brokers from Bank of America Corp.'s Merrill Lynch.

Vanguard Group announced it has closed the Vanguard Convertible Securities Fund to new accounts and placed a $25,000 annual investment limit on current retail accounts.

Sun Life Financial Inc. has added new leadership to its U.S. annuities division to increase variable annuity sales, but analysts say the Toronto company has to overcome larger competitors as well as wary advisers and consumers.

For more information on this data, visit Novantas LLC and Market Rates Insight.

Banking companies will be hard-pressed to repeat a banner 2008 in terms of sales of fixed annuities.

A little instability isn't necessarily bad for business.

Hedge fund liquidations fell more than 50% in the first quarter, from the record set in the fourth quarter, according to Hedge Fund Research in Chicago.

MF Global Ltd., a New York commodity futures brokerage company, has announced the introduction of a managed futures division that will follow commodity trends.

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. aims to do more with less in China through its deal for a stake in Yingda Taihe Life Insurance Co.

Morgan Stanley announced Wednesday that it has expanded its prime brokerage offering by introducing custodial services for long securities held by prime brokerage clients.