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Fidelity said it had helped a record number of brokers 185 individuals and teams–transition to some form of independence through November 2009

…Research Affiliates, whose founder and chairman is Rob Arnott, has received a patent on its Research Affiliates Fundamental Index (RAFI), for the way it creates its fundamentally-weighted indexes

…Old Mutual Global Index Trackers has launched its GlobalShares FTSE Emerging Markets Fund [GSR] ETF on the New York Stock Exchange, and for a limited period will cap the fund’s operating expenses (other than brokerage or other transaction-related expenses, taxes, interest, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses) at 0 basis points

…Trust Company of America, which specializes in providing asset custody and technology services to fee-based RIAs, reported that its total assets under custody (AUC) has surpassed $9 billion. Trust Company of America has nearly quadrupled its AUC in the last four years