Products October 1, 2009

McCready and Keene Releases Small-Market Platform

Benefits consultant and service provider McCready and Keene has unveiled a recordkeeping platform aimed at small-sized clients.

Reported by

A news release said the open-architecture system for target employers with assets below $1.5 million includes daily valued investments offered at NAV without back-end loads, fully disclosed pricing, and 100% revenue-sharing to offset plan fees.

Other features include:

  • full-service in-house support;
  • plan consultation for an optimal design;
  • cross-tested plan design options and compliance;
  • annual compliance testing;
  • reports about participation, contribution levels, and performance;
  • sponsor and participant Web site access;
  • quarterly statements mailed to participants home addresses;
  • ROTH features;
  • auto-rebalance features;
  • enrollment materials;
  • full distribution services, including check-writing and 1099s; and
  • fee-for-service pricing with all revenue-sharing received used to offset administration fees.

 

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The Markets October 1, 2009

Most Investors Are Not More Risk-Averse

The majority of investors said the amount of risk they have taken with their investments has stayed the same over the past two years, according to a Financial Times/Harris Interactive poll of investors in the U.S. and the five largest European countries.

Reported by

The survey also found that 61% of U.S. and 69% of British adults with savings/investments would keep the amount of professional advice they seek the same if making an investment decision now, while 28% in the U.S. and 21% in Great Britain would seek more advice.

When broken down by country, 61% of respondents in the U.S. and 71% in Great Britain said the amount of risk they take has stayed the same. Seventy percent of respondents in France, 64% of respondents in Germany, 59% of those in Italy, and 58% of investors in Spain all said the same.

Twenty-nine percent of U.S. respondents and 20% of those in Great Britain said they are taking less risk, while 10% in the U.S. and 8% in Great Britain say they are willing to take more risk in their investing.

A majority in all countries also say they have not changed their investment choices in the last two years: 81% in Great Britain, 78% in Germany, 67% in Spain, 65% in France, 62% in the U.S., and 56% in Italy. However, 46% of U.S. respondents and 39% of those in Great Britain said they are less likely to invest in equities, as did a range of 41% to 54% of respondents from other countries.

Less than a quarter of respondents from all countries said they think the government adequately protects investors.

The poll was conducted between August 26 and September 2 online by Harris Interactive among a total of 4,419 adults aged 16 to 64 and who have investments within France (824), Germany (701), Great Britain (821), Spain (639) and the U.S. (777), and adults aged 18 to 64 who have investments in Italy (657).

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