The Markets October 5, 2010

Bonds Still Lead Fund Flows in August

Stock and bond funds experienced net inflows of $19 billion in August, according to Financial Research Corporation (FRC).
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The Corporate Bond objective led the net inflow category with $19.7 billion, followed by the Tax-Free Bond objective with $6 billion. International/Global Equity took in $5.7 billion, while International/Global Fixed Income took in $4.7 billion.   

Domestic equities were the big losers, posting a $19.2 billion outflow in August, FRC data showed.  

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PIMCO Total Return Fund attracted $5.2 billion to lead the fund sales chart, followed distantly by the Vanguard Total Stock Index Fund, which had $2.3 billion in inflows for the month.  

The iShares MSCI Emerging Market Fund ($1.8 billion), Vanguard Emerging Market Stock Index; ETF ($1.7 billion), and Templeton Global Bond Fund ($1.4 billion) rounded out the top five. 

Products October 5, 2010

Principal Expands Retirement Education Portal

The expanded Retirement Education Portal from the Principal Financial Group offers financial professionals access to an online library focused on retirement income planning, in addition to tools and resources for overall retirement plan education.
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A Principal press release said the Retirement Education Portal allows financial professionals to select materials based on number of years prior to retirement or by the stages of retirement planning.    

Resources include: 

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  • Education plans that can be tailored to clients
  • One-on-one and group meeting materials
  • A step-by-step guide to planning and conducting more effective education meetings
  • The new Education Edge magazine with information about new educational offerings

 

“The new portal makes it easy for financial professionals to pick and choose resources that match how they want to deliver retirement income planning education,” said Tim Minard, vice president of distribution for retirement and investor services at The Principal, in the press release.

In addition to the expanded portal, financial professionals also have access to local education personnel who conduct both group education meetings and one-on-one meetings with participants.

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