RIA Announces Retirement Plan Advice Offering

Kring Financial Management has developed a solution for investors who want to manage their retirement plan investments proactively.

Kring Financial’s new advisory service, 401k ProAdvisor, will offer clients personalized advice on their 401(k), 403(b), or retirement plan on a quarterly basis, according to a press release.

Clients can provide a summary of how their retirement plan money is invested, as well as information about their financial goals, time horizon, contributions, and their tolerance for risk, the company said. Using that information, the 401k ProAdvisor service will analyze each available fund using multiple factors, and provide specific recommendations on what funds and amounts the client should buy or sell each quarter.

“We study technical and fundamental factors, and use research from several sources before developing our recommended list,” said William Kring, founder of Kring Financial Management.

The 401k ProAdvisor service is available nationwide, and the company said it meets the requirements of the 2006 Pension Reform Act provisions about giving advice in a 401(k) plan, for which the Department of Labor is working on final guidance (see “EBSA: Fee Disclosure Regs Coming“).


More information is available at www.401kproadvisor.com/index.html.

RS Investments Launches Fixed-Income Funds

San Francisco-based RS Investments has announced the launch of three new fixed-income funds.

The RS Strategic Income Fund (RSIAX) provides investors with diversification across a broad set of fixed-income sectors in a single fund: investment grade, high-yield, and global bonds, while the RS High Yield Municipal Bond Fund (RSHMX) is designed for investors seeking high current income, with a secondary objective of capital appreciation, an announcement said. The RS Floating Rate Fund (RSFLX) invests in bank loans, corporate bonds, and other securities with the goal of providing a moderately high level of current income and protection against rising interest rates.

“The new funds address the growing appetite among advisers and their clients for sophisticated fixed income choices that provide greater diversification and potential solutions to long-term challenges,” said Terry Otton, chief executive officer of RS, in the announcement. “Whether it is protection from the declining dollar, hedging against inflation, or reducing taxes, these funds help to provide investors with greater flexibility and choices for achieving their income goals.”

The new RS funds are sub-advised by Guardian Investor Services, which manages over $20 billion in institutional fixed income portfolios and serves as sub-adviser for the five fixed-income funds already offered by RS. Each fund will offer multiple share classes and expenses for the A share class have been capped at 35 basis points through April 30, 2011.

“Our approach to fixed-income investing is based on risk-adjusted value, relying on intensive fundamental research and a disciplined investment process,” said Leslie Barbi, head of fixed-income investments for RS. “The RS bond funds are managed with a focus on assessing returns relative to risk, which includes considering downside protection, not just income—the way we believe bond funds should be managed.”


More information is available at www.rsinvestments.com.

«