Van Eck Global launches Market Vectors Germany Small-Cap ETF
New York-based asset manager Van Eck Global has launched Market Vectors Germany Small-Cap ETF (NYSE Arca: GERJ), the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) designed to give investors pure-play exposure to Europe's largest economy. GERJ seeks to replicate, before fees and expenses, the performance of the Market Vectors Germany Small-Cap Index (MVGERJTR).
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FundQuest announces 3-year track record for ActivePassive Funds® and New Distribution Channel for ActivePassive Portfolios®
FundQuest®, a leading provider of flexible wealth management solutions and sophisticated investment research, announced today that its ActivePassive Funds® have reached their 3-year track record as of December 31, 2010. Additionally, the firm has recently launched the ActivePassive Portfolio Console, a dedicated portal through which ActivePassive Portfolios®, professionally managed solutions utilizing the funds, may be accessed by financial advisors.
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Vanguard preparing participants for DB plan terminations
Private-sector defined benefit (DB) pension plans have steadily declined over the past two decades and some plans are expected to begin terminating and distributing assets to participants in 2012, when new Pension Protection Act (PPA) rules will make it more conducive for plan sponsors to do so. In the coming years, millions of participants in those terminating plans will be required to choose a payout option. Vanguard is offering a new service to help them make informed decisions.
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Over the past decade, changes in interest rates, new funding and accounting rules, and two severe market declines have made it difficult for many plan sponsors to actively maintain their DB plans. Vanguard strongly believes that DB plans, when managed with careful attention to financial risks, can be part of an effective retirement program for many employers and their employees, and that there are ways to make DB plans financially sustainable.
"Yet for some plan sponsors, especially those who have already frozen their plan, the rule changes in 2012 will make the termination of their plan an important consideration," said Vanguard Chief Actuary Evan Inglis. "In addition to the complexities involved in a plan termination, these sponsors are likely to be very concerned about educating their participants on their distribution options and how to choose one that meets their needs."
Vanguard research has shown that participants leaving a DB plan are much more likely to take a lump sum than an annuity if given an option, which often means they are handed a large sum of money that may be challenging to manage. This not only occurs when a plan is terminated, but also arises when a sponsor offers a lump-sum option to vested participants who have left the plan, as well as in other situations.
To help these participants make informed decisions about their assets, Vanguard has created Vanguard Pension Reinvestment Services™. At no charge to participating plans, the service provides participants with clear, unbiased education and information through phone consultations with noncommissioned Vanguard Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professionals.
The CFPs can walk participants through the pros and cons of their distribution options so they can make wise choices about which best meets their needs—whether it's a lump-sum rollover to an IRA or 401(k) plan, their plan's group annuity, a third-party income annuity, or a combination. Participants may also take their lump- sum payout in cash, although they will incur taxes and the money will no longer be working toward their long-term goals.
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John Hancock Closed-End Funds Portfolio information now available
John Hancock Advisers, LLC announced today that portfolio information, such as performance, top-ten holdings and sector and industry weightings, as of March 31, 2011 is available for John Hancock closed-end funds. This information is available on John Hancock Funds' web site at www.jhfunds.com by clicking on "Closed-End Funds" under "Funds & Performance" tab.
John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (previously known as John Hancock Patriot Premium Dividend Fund II) (NYSE: PDT)
John Hancock Preferred Income Fund (NYSE: HPI)
John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE: HPF)
John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (NYSE: HPS)
John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD)
John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund (NYSE: HTY)
John Hancock Investors Trust (NYSE: JHI)
John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE: JHS)
John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund (NYSE: BTO)
References to specific holdings and industry weightings are not recommendations to buy or sell such securities, and the Funds may not necessarily hold these today. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
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