Sponsored By: Russell Investments

• Worldwide Mutual Fund Assets Decline 5.1% to $24.81 Trillion

  Assets in mutual funds worldwide declined 5.1% to $24.81 trillion by the end of the first quarter.

• SEC Makes First $40 Million Installment to Putnam Investors

  The SEC announced that it made its first of four payments to the 1.5 million Putnam Investments who were harmed by market timing.

• SEC to Distribute Funds to Putnam, Janus Investors

  The SEC said it would distribute millions of dollars to investors harmed by market-timing trading violations in mutual funds managed by Putnam Investment Management and Janus Capital Management.

• Fewer Hispanics, African-Americans in 401(k) Plans

  Despite efforts by financial services firms to better reach and serve Hispanics and African-Americans, only 32% of Hispanics and 54% of African-Americans are invested in an IRA or 401(k) plan.

• Funds Join Redeem Team

  two major mutual fund families are the latest to announce plans to redeem outstanding ARS by using tender-option bonds—TOBs—as a new source of leverage.

• Closed-End Funds that Came to Investors' Rescue Face High Interest Rates

  Having gone to great, and expensive, lengths to bail investors out of auction-rate securities, some closed-end funds regret this decision.

• Companies Gear Up for XBRL Reporting

  The SEC could mandate the use of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) in mutual fund risk return summaries by as early as the first quarter of next year.

• SEC Dedicates Anti-Money Laundering Website

  The SEC has opened a website for internal purposes at the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations to fight anti-money laundering, for compliance officers at mutual funds.

• USAA Launches Target Date Funds

  The United Services Automobile Association has rolled out a new suite of five target date mutual funds.

• Vanguard Reopens Two Funds, Signaling Weak Market

  In spite of their strong records, two Vanguard funds that have been suffering steep redemptions will now be reopened to investors.

• Morningstar Taps Global RE, Currency, for New Coverage

  The company announced it has added two new categories and one broad asset class to its proprietary classification system for mutual fund portfolios.

• Market Opportunities Still Exist

  The low-hanging fruit is gone, but there are still places to find profit if investors know where to look and avoid the herds.

• Spring Awakening

  After being closed for most of this decade, Wasatch Core Growth Fund has reopened. But can it regain its magic touch?

• When Is a 130/30 Fund Not That? Plenty of Times

  Many hedge-like mutual funds with the "130/30" label are not treating that ratio as if it were set in stone.

• Struggling Banks Could Shed Mutual Fund Units

  Several struggling banks desperate for capital are now considering selling their money-management units, according to The Wall Street Journal.

• Retirement Assets Reach $17.6 Trillion

  Despite difficult market conditions, Americans continued to save more for retirement last year.

• eSecLending Establishes a New RIA to Support Mutual Funds

  eSecLending recently announced its creation of Securities Financial Global Advisors (SFGA), a registered investment advisor (RIA).

• IndexIQ Launches Hedging Mutual Fund

  IndexIQ has launched a mutual fund-of-fund that will mimic hedging strategies, invest in exchange-traded funds and leverage up to 100% of its assets.<

• Hedge Funds Surpass Mutual Funds in Equity Trading Volume

  Hedge funds topped mutual funds in equity trading volume last year and are now second only to asset management shops.

• Federated Buying Two Tice Funds

  The Pittsburgh investment manager Federated Investors Inc. has a deal to acquire two funds from David W. Tice & Associates LLC.

• Hisey Named President of AARP Financial, Funds

  AARP has appointed Richard Hisey as the new president of AARP Financial Inc. and AARP Funds.

• Equity Mutual Funds Slip 15 Basis Points in 2Q08

  Mutual fund investors held resilient in the second quarter of the year.

• Give Mutual Fund Investors the 'Gold Card' Treatment

  If mutual fund marketing executives took even one page from credit card companies' sales playbooks they would come up with a million creative ideas.

• Money Market Funds Called Upon to Make Non-Public SEC Filings

  How serious are liquidity problems with money market mutual funds?

• Where Has All the Alpha Gone?

  The small group of money mangers who possessed the ability to outperform the market has virtually disappeared.

• Mutual Fund Value Hunters Go Hungry

  Firms that focus on value stocks have been slammed recently, as financial stocks like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae continue to struggle.

• Evergreen's CEO on His Multi-Boutique Legacy

  Before Dennis Ferro retires as CEO at Evergreen Investments, he wants to expand its alternative investment capabilities and its international distribution.

• As Mutual Fund Industry Flourished, Templeton Seemingly Vanished

  The late John Templeton created the Templeton Growth Fund back in 1954, but many articles about his passing avoided this subject when they summarized his life.

• Ameriprise Acquires J&W Seligman for $440M

  Ameriprise Financial finalized a $440 million deal to purchase J&W Seligman in the fourth quarter.

• Commodities, Natural Resources Lead 2Q08 Growth

  Threats of further losses throughout financial institutions, concerns of inflation, and record high oil prices continue to persist.

• China Denies Holding Mutual Fund Officials 'Hostage'

  As the Olympic Games approach, China has become continually worried about its public image and financial status.

• Comparisons of 8,000 Mutual Funds

  The SEC has formally proposed using new technology, XBRL, to get important information to investors faster, more reliably, and at a lower cost.

• Banking's Russell 3,000 Slice Falls to 8-Year Low

  Declining market capitalizations for financial companies in the Russell 3,000 index have pushed the sector's weighting to its lowest level in eight years.