To help explain the intricacies of options trading to investors, Kelmoore Investment Co. of Palo Alto, Calif., has turned to a portly man who wears a face mask, a skin-tight yellow leotard and a hat with a little, glowing antenna poking out of the top. No kidding. The firm launched a promotional comic book, called The Adventures of Kaptain Kelmoore, in late April. In the book's first issue, the superhero, with his giant cleft chin and a Kelmoore logo emblazoned across his chest, explains the...

Financial planner Ric Edelman got a shock this summer when he opened his bill for the computer services he receives from fund researcher Morningstar. The invoice showed that Chicago-based Morningstar was raising his rates from about $8,000 each year to more than $50,000, he said, an increase of roughly 525%. Edelman, who runs Edelman Financial Services, was outraged. He and nearly 30 other employees at his Fairfax, Va., firm use Morningstar's ubiquitous Principia Pro computer network to get...

Prudential Financial of Newark, N.J., has purchased a portion of two mutual fund distribution and asset-management companies owned by a German bank in an effort to target German investors. In doing so, analysts said Prudential is one of the first U.S. firms to acquire German fund operations in a market considered by some to be the most opportunity-rich in the world. Analysts expect more firms to follow Prudential's lead. Prudential's joint venture with Sal. Oppenheim bank will enable the firm...

Morgan Stanley today unveiled a new tool that is designed to help investors analyze how their assets are allocated. The product, which is available free to individual investors, is called Asset Scan. It is intended to help investors see where their portfolios may be over- or under-weighted among various asset classes, international markets and industry sectors, the company said. In addition, the tool can analyze stocks within an investor’s mutual funds. Morgan Stanley president John Schaefer...

Stilwell Financial will merge into its largest subsidiary, mutual fund giant Janus Capital Corp., at year-end and will distribute all of its products under the Janus brand name, the companies announced today. Stilwell Chairman Landon Rowland said that the Stilwell offices in Kansas City, Mo., will shut down Jan. 1 and management of the firm will shift to Janus officials. The reorganized company will be known as Janus Capital Management. Mark Whiston, who has worked with Janus for 11 years,...