Wealth management

Trustmark Mutual Holding Co. said it has introduced a consumer-directed health-care platform to help companies transfer their employees to high-deductible health plans.

Mellon Financial Corp. announced Wednesday that it had promoted David R. Misch to national director of private banking.

MetLife Investors Distribution Co. has tapped a former Fidelity Investments executive to lead its bank channel sales team, the company said on Wednesday.

Integro said Wednesday that it had hired Andrew Carr to be the managing principal of client development for the Atlanta office of the New York insurance brokerage and risk management firm.

Conning Asset Management said Wednesday it has been chosen to manage the assets of Citigroup's insurance affiliates in a move an analyst called a cleaning up of "loose ends" of the insurance business Citi has been leaving.

Arden Asset Management Inc., a New York fund of hedge funds manager with $10 billion of assets under management, said Wednesday that it had hired Vikas Kapoor to be executive director of risk management and technology.

New York Life Insurance Co. said Wednesday that it had hired a former Mutual of Omaha executive to be the first vice president in charge of its Washington office.

Janus Capital Group Inc. is intensifying its focus on financial institution distribution, including through banks, as it looks to reverse years of outflows from Janus-branded mutual funds.

Hoping to attract more small and midsize banks to its health savings account platform, the financial technology provider Fiserv Inc. plans to launch a health savings account platform for financial institutions that includes flexible spending and health reimbursement accounts.

Pioneer Investment Management USA Inc., a subsidiary of the banking giant UniCredito Italiano SpA, has named a former Schwab Institutional executive as its head of distribution.

Merrill Lynch & Co. will soon start selling its mutual funds, separately managed accounts, and closed-end products through rival brokers in this country under a non-Merrill brand name.

A new variable annuity from Axa Equitable Life Insurance Co. combines features of deferred and immediate variable annuities.

Bank of America's private bank said Monday that it had added a team of advisers for ultra-wealthy clients in the Boston area.

Fiserv Inc. announced Monday that it had bought CareGain Inc. in order to manage consumer-directed health plans and related health-care savings accounts.

NASD said Monday that it had charged Oppenheimer & Co. and its chief executive officer, Albert Lowenthal, with knowingly submitting inaccurate and incomplete data in response to the industry self-regulating body's request in 2003 that the company assess its own mutual fund breakpoint discount practices.

Guaranteed income, withdrawal, and accumulation options for variable annuities have increased dramatically in the past year, and insurers say they expect even more such riders to be introduced in 2006 as banks and other financial services providers try to tap the burgeoning retiree market.

AIG SunAmerica Retirement Markets Inc. said it has added a variable annuity income option.