The continuing turmoil in the markets was once again an area of focus in November. While the majority of firm communications regarding the market are now posted online, a number of firms tracked by Corporate Insight have also been reaching out to clients through the mail. Corporate Insight’s new Market Messaging report highlights and reviews volatility-related mailings from 14 firms in the banking, brokerage and retirement spaces. Click here for your copy of the report.

Of course, market turmoil was not the only news from November. A number of firms made significant changes and announcements on their sites.

Commerce Bank’s website and branches were re-branded with the new TD Bank colors and logos, completing the firm’s acquisition by the Toronto Dominion Financial Group. The changes to Commerce’s pre-existing public and private sites were primarily superficial, as the layout and content of both remained unchanged. A number of new mergers and acquisitions were also announced. National City posted information on its public site stating that the firm had been acquired by PNC Bank. Barclays Capital also announced that recently-acquired Lehman Brothers would be absorbed under the Barclays name.

A number of firms added education-planning resources in November. Bank of America added a new “Morris on Campus” sitelet that promotes pre-existing products and offers financial advice for college students via tips and videos. The sitelet focuses mainly on the “Student Package,” an online-only banking package that includes the CampusEdge Checking account, a Regular Savings account with the Keep the Change program, a Student Visa Platinum Plus credit card and a free Student Financial Handbook. Vanguard added a number of forms regarding educational and custodial accounts to its public and private site Forms & Literature section. Scottrade also introduced a College Savings calculator that allows users to gauge their readiness to pay for college based on current savings rates and to see how factors like tax rates and rates of return affect college savings plans.

Wells Fargo’s new Someday Stories sitelet, which promotes an ongoing contest of the same name, utilizes a number of third-party social media sites to help users share the page with other users. The sitelet features links to a number of social media resources that allow users to email the page to friends and post videos from the page on sites like Delicious, Facebook, Stumbleupon, Digg and MySpace.

As 2008 draws to a close, firms are beginning to post year-end tax resources and information. Ameriprise and Edward Jones both added year-end tax articles to their respective public site homepages. Several firms also posted 2008 capital gains information for their funds.