Banc of America ordered to pay $3.6M fine to Texas over auction rate securities

October 12th, 2009 Auction house all shook up over Elvis hairCHICAGO — The King may be dead, but that doesn't mean it's too late to run your fingers through his hair. A Chicago auction house is putting a clump of what it says is Elvis Presley's hair up for auction — along with some of his clothes, sweat-stained scarves and memorabilia.

October 9th, 2009 Watson, Towers Perrin enter $500M credit facilityNEW YORK — Management consulting firms Watson Wyatt Worldwide Inc. and Towers Perrin, which plan to combine in 2010, said Friday they will enter into a $500 million revolving credit facility.

October 5th, 2009 Treasurys little changed despite strong TIPS saleNEW YORK — Treasury prices were little changed Monday as investors balanced strong results of an auction of inflation-protected bonds against a rising stock market, which sapped demand for safe-haven investments. The price of the benchmark 10-year Treasury note slipped 1/32 to 103 11/32.

September 14th, 2009 Merrill Lynch settles Texas case for $12.7MAUSTIN, Texas — Merrill Lynch will pay the state of Texas $12.7 million to settle an investigation into the brokerage firm's marketing and sale of auction rate securities, state officials said Monday. Texas Securities Commissioner Denise Voigt Crawford announced the settlement.

September 8th, 2009 Merrill to pay $26.5 million to settle sales probeAUSTIN, Texas — The Texas state securities commissioner said Bank of America's Merrill Lynch unit will pay up to $26.5 million in a national settlement stemming from a Texas claim that the brokerage allowed unregistered salespeople to sell securities. Texas will receive $1.6 million in the settlement with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.

September 8th, 2009 Merrill to pay $26.5M to 7 states in sales probeAUSTIN, Texas — The Texas state securities commissioner said Bank of America's Merrill Lynch unit will pay up to $26.5 million to seven states in a settlement stemming from a Texas claim that the brokerage allowed unregistered salespeople to sell securities. Texas will receive $1.6 million in the settlement with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc.

August 21st, 2009 Ciber completes credit financing dealGREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — Ciber Inc., facing tougher terms on its borrowing, said Thursday it completed a 3-year, $155 million financing package led by Bank of America.

August 19th, 2009 Survey: Optimism about global economy is growingNEW YORK — A new survey by Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch showed optimism among portfolio managers about the chances for global economic recovery rising to their highest level in nearly six years. Three-quarters of the 204 fund managers polled in the monthly survey said they believe the world economy will strengthen over the next 12 months, the highest reading since November 2003.

August 17th, 2009 Source: NY AG to sue Schwab over securities salesNEW YORK — New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is preparing to sue Charles Schwab, claiming the brokerage firm misled customers about the safety of auction-rate securities, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The civil suit is expected to be filed Monday, according to the person who asked for anonymity because the suit has yet to be filed.

August 14th, 2009 Nordstrom refinances credit facilitySEATTLE — Nordstrom Inc. on Friday said that it has secured a new three-year $650 million senior unsecured revolving credit facility to replace a prior facility of the same size that was scheduled to mature in 2010.

August 14th, 2009 Alliance Data issues asset-backed securitiesDALLAS — Marketing and transactions services provider Alliance Data Systems Corp. said Friday that its private label credit card banking subsidiary issued $950 million of fixed-rate term asset-backed securities.

July 26th, 2009 Dillinger's derringer nets $95,600 at auctionDALLAS — A gun once carried by bank robber John Dillinger has brought $95,600 at a Texas auction. Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas reports the winning bid for the Remington .41-caliber double derringer was more than double the pre-auction estimate.

July 20th, 2009 TD Ameritrade settles securities investigationNEW YORK — Retail brokerage firm TD Ameritrade Inc. agreed on Monday to repurchase $456 million in auction-rate securities from investors as part of a settlement with the New York Attorney General's office and Securities and Exchange Commission.

May 14th, 2009 No buyer for book filled with 'Dr Pepper' recipesDALLAS — A tattered old ledger book from the Texas drugstore where Dr Pepper was invented has failed to sell at auction. Heritage Auction Galleries said Wednesday that the bidding for the book containing a recipe titled "D Peppers Pepsin Bitters" failed to meet the $25,000 minimum reserve.

April 28th, 2009 Madoff's trading business nets $25M at NYC auctionNEW YORK — A trustee overseeing the liquidation of Wall Street swindler Bernard Madoff's (MAY'-dawfs) assets has announced a winning bid of potentially more than $25 million for the securities-trading operation he ran. Irving Picard says Boston-based Castor Pollux Securities LLC will pay $1 million at closing and up to $24.5 million in deferred compensation through 2013.