Alera Group Expands Wealth Management and Retirement Plan Solutions 

Alera Group Inc., an independent national insurance and financial services firm, announced an expansion to its wealth management and retirement plan solutions, driven by new leadership and a commitment to accelerated growth through acquisitions and partnerships. 

Chief Development Officer Rob Lieblein, one of Alera’s original founding partners, is spearheading the “new era” of Alera Group’s financial services division, according to the announcement. Lieblein will oversee the strategic direction of the firm, including investing in infrastructure and leadership.  

The Alera Group is also looking to expand its collaborative initiatives and is seeking to partner with “high-quality” wealth management and retirement plan advisory firms that share its commitment to growth and client service.  

Berwyn Group Launches Death Audit Solution 

The Berwyn Group Inc. announced CertiDeath Paragon, a death audit solution that aims to significantly reduce or eliminate the need to transfer sensitive personally identifiable information, including Social Security numbers, while aligning with industry regulations.  

“CertiDeath Paragon will transform how our clients care for participants, policyholders, and account holders—accurately identifying decedents, reuniting benefits with beneficiaries, and safeguarding privacy with every step,” said John Bikus, president of the Berwyn Group, in statement. “This groundbreaking release isn’t just a new product; it’s a commitment to innovation, cybersecurity and, most importantly, supporting our clients and their participants and policyholders.” 

The Berwyn Group stated that identifying deaths is critical for pension plans, insurance companies and financial institutions to help eliminate costly overpayments, reduce fraud, meet regulatory requirements and connect policyholders, participants and beneficiaries to the funds they earned. 

J.P. Morgan Asset Management Launches Active ETF 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced the launch of the JPMorgan Flexible Income ETF on the New York Stock Exchange. The active exchange-traded fund represents the multi-asset solution team’s first foray into actively managed multi-asset ETFs, designed to offer investors a combination of income and capital growth. 

The fund invests in a diverse range of income-producing securities, including direct equity holdings and fixed-income ETFs, across both developed and emerging markets worldwide. 

“JFLI is a game-changer in income investing,” said Jamie Kramer, JPMorgan’s CIO and global head of multi-asset solutions, in a statement. “By harnessing the power of diverse asset classes and our global expertise, we’re delivering a dynamic solution that not only meets our clients’ income needs but also thrives in today’s fast-paced market environment.” 

Axonic Insurance Services Launches Annuity Product 

Hexure, a provider of sales and regulatory automation solutions for the life and annuity industry, announced Axonic Insurance Services has implemented the FireLight e-application to launch an annuity product and expand its reach in the insurance market.  

As a result, AIS’s partners will have access to submit annuity applications, supporting the distribution of its Waypoint Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity. 

“FireLight is a leader in the electronic processing of annuities and is a critical provider for many of our most important distribution partners,” said Axonic Insurance Services CEO Michael Gordon in a statement. “We are excited to have our first product up on the platform, and we look forward to introducing many more in the months and years to come.” 

Abrdn Launches 1st Active ETFs 

Abrdn Inc., the U.S. business of the global specialist asset manager, announced the launch of two fully transparent active exchange-traded funds trading on the Nasdaq: the abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF and the abrdn Emerging Markets Dividend Active ETF. 

The abrdn Focused U.S. Small Cap Active ETF seeks capital appreciation by investing in a select group of high-conviction U.S. small-cap stocks, while the abrdn Emerging Markets Dividend Active ETF targets total return through income and long-term capital growth, focusing on companies with strong dividend growth and solid fundamentals. 

The launch marks the introduction of abrdn’s first actively managed ETFs in the U.S., building upon its existing $10 billion ETF business.