BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock) operates as an investment management firm in the United States. As of December 31, 2008, the Company had $1.307 trillion of assets under management (AUM). BlackRock provides diversified investment management services to institutional clients and to individual investors through various investment vehicles. Its investment management services primarily consist of the active management of fixed income, cash management and equity client accounts; the management of a number of open-end and closed-end mutual fund families, and other non-United States equivalent retail products serving the institutional and retail markets, and the management of alternative funds developed to serve various customer needs. In addition, BlackRock provides market risk management, financial markets advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of clients.