Briefly

OppenheimerFunds Inc., the mutual-fund unit of MassMutual Financial Group, on Wednesday settled charges by federal regulators that it improperly used shareholders’ money to pay marketing expenses.

The company didn’t disclose that, from 2000 to 2003, brokerage firms were paid to promote its funds with trading commissions drawn from fund assets, the Securities and Exchange Commission said. New York-based OppenheimerFunds wasn’t fined and accepted an SEC censure without admitting to or denying the agency’s findings.