Oisin Breen
Articles written by Oisin Breen
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Vanguard gets new CFO, Salim Ramji's second, strategic and handpicked selection • High rates but lower-balance money markets • SEC loses nearly 1-in-5 staff -- largely from its legal nerve center
Vanguard CEO puts John Bendl in strategic role • Money markets fall off record highs • Capital Group joins private credit goldrush • John Thiel signs on with DPL • RIA poaches top AssetMark exec, names him president.
April 29, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Betterment will add self-directed investing in 2025 as part of grander post-robo plan-- something co-founder Jon Stein admits is likely long overdue
CEO Sarah Levy also green-lit bridge-borrowing against investments as company moves beyond child-proof model to allow investor discretion -- and into more direct competiton with Schwab, Fidelity and Robinhood.
April 25, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Robinhood's surefire 'RIA' play -- custody and robo-advice -- just got shakier as its 'betting' ambitions go full bore and eight states (blue and red) throw up resistance
'DNA' and rule issues are real but legal sources say Congress could soon make the firm's gambling foray a moot point.
April 22, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Vanguard's deal with Blackstone follows its bleak, almost black, market prognosis • SSGA launches another 'Apollo' product, sans Apollo brand • SEC OKs 'green' exchange • Senators call out Trump 'fraud' in letter to new SEC chair
Recession signals grow • Confirmed as chair, SEC's Atkins faces Trump decision • InvestCloud nabs ex-Envestnet COO • Tibergien protégé lands at RIA • RIAs still see direct-indexing as a solution hunting for a problem • Software companies hire & launch.
April 18, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Vanguard and Blackstone disclose joint 'initiative' to bring alts to mass investors after private 'talks' leak months ahead of planned news release
The 'culture clash' collaboration of the kings of two different markets could be a good high-net-worth retail strategy for each -- but they have serious stuff to work out.
April 16, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Goldman Sachs CEO's taste for sleek private jets runs into flak as cost cutting sweeps the bank and shareholder advocates oppose $80 million retention bonuses each for two top executives
David Solomon jets around the world -- and to his luxury Bahamas retreat -- on a $70 million Gulfstream G650ER, one of two Goldman private planes.
April 15, 2025 at 12:04 AM
BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard show swagger, unity and 'smell blood' as they fire back at charges they perniciously colluded to advance ESG goals
Shifting political winds may cause three asset managers with $26.72 trillion to 'go for the jugular,' Wall Street attorney says; not so fast, says a second securities attorney, 'There's a smoking gun here.'
April 10, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Envestnet quietly cleans up a mess behind take-private veil • Michael Kim is now a two-TAMP CEO • Bill Ackman scolds Trump, Lutnick for tariff overkill, alleged conflicts •
Kim is now head of 'RIA' TAMP • In broad daylight, AssetMark edges closer to swallowing Adhesion • Ackman irked over ‘massive, disproportionate’ tariffs • Fisher sees market upside, if and when tariffs fail.
April 8, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Betterment trims fee despite 'no pressure,' and can still upcharge 160% over robo fee by upselling CFP humans -- more than 100% over Vanguard -- with RIA-like fees
The New York robo imposed 65 basis points in 2024 on humanized $1-million-plus accounts, but is not competing with RIAs and 'never has been'
April 5, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Fidelity files with SEC to launch 'doppelganger' money-market fund that lives in the blockchain and only inside Fidelity -- a pilot product to leap into market McKinsey says will hold $2 trillion by 2030
The Boston firm has filed to launch the Fidelity Treasury Digital Fund into a token market with few legacy brands.
March 29, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Schwab and Fidelity halt of BlackRock's money-market fund ETF trades was no shock nor was it a straightforward series of events -- or explanations
Altruist, IKBR and Vanguard are cool for now, but Schwab and Fidelity are nearly mum amid questions, like when blocks happened and what's next for Schwab's own money market ETF.
March 26, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Bank of America-nemesis lawyer files class action -- again -- over Vanguard $100 'junk fee;' but Bogle-founded company claims fee is legal and vows to defend low-cost reputation
Ken Grunfeld voluntarily dismissed a state-filed class action, but quickly launched a 'copy-and-paste' do-over in federal court that is far from 'altruistic,' leading industry lawyer says.
March 22, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Schwab chases BlackRock out of the gate with money market ETF to stake out fast-growing cash segment and shore up its dominance in money market funds
The Westlake, Texas giant's new fund will hit the market May 28, pending regulatory approval, and crash BlackRock's near-monopoly, but also lend potential legitimacy to the novel concept.
March 20, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Bob Curtis is back to financial planning • Future Capital and Pontera score $15-billion AUM • Advisor360 is out to conquer Salesforce and Needham • Batnick repurposes Ritholtz charts into standalone venture for RIAs
MoneyGuidePro founder sees mortgage angle • Commonwealth's spun-off software unit thrives in second life
March 19, 2025 at 3:25 AM
The unprecedented and once 'unthinkable' State Street-Apollo ETF rollout is still setting off alarm bells for promising liquidity of illiquid assets with questionable plan, say lawyers, analysts and Morningstar
Analysts remain baffled why State Street and the Securities and Exchange Commission are leaving the essential liquidity issue unresolved.