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The merger would create a brokerage giant with roughly $5 trillion in assets as the industry copes with zero commissions on stock trades. More than 40 years ago, Charles Schwab [...]

Most investors don't realize that when they walk into a bank or brokerage firm branch, the representatives there are essentially free to emblazon their business cards with whatever titles they please -- financial consultants, advisers, wealth managers, to name a few. But if you're looking for someone who is qualified to give smart advice about all aspects of your financial life while keeping costs down, you may not be in the right place. The issue came up again earlier this week in an article by my colleagues at The New York Times, who quoted former JPMorgan Chase brokers as saying they were encouraged to promote the firm's own funds to customers even when more competitive investments were available. Not only were the funds expensive, but the bank also exaggerated at least one investment portfolio's returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

You can add Vanguard to the list of brokerage companies that have lowered their trading commissions and waived trading fees on exchange-traded funds, a move that will apply to all 46 of its funds. Exchange-traded funds are basically mutual funds that trade like stocks. They are pegged to indexes that track different parts of the market. E.T.F.'s also tend to be less expensive and more tax-efficient than their mutual fund counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]