Products June 27, 2013

LPL Adds Capabilities to Worksite Financial Solutions Platform

LPL Financial LLC has added capabilities from Morningstar Associates LLC, Financial Finesse and Wealth Management Systems Inc. (WMSI). 
Reported by

These capabilities have been added to the recently launched Worksite Financial Solutions retirement planning services platform. The platform allows plan sponsors to help their participants prepare for the future through a comprehensive system of financial education, advice and account transition services.

Morningstar provides technology for the Employee Advice Solution, a software platform that helps advisers to provide participants with investment strategies to help them reach their retirement goals. Advisers can choose a strategist from the platform to deliver in-plan participant advice, while participants have the choice of ongoing or point-in-time advice based on a financial analysis.

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Through the Financial Learning Center, Financial Finesse provides employees with an assessment of their financial wellness and offers a plan to improve their finances. Sponsors receive a report on the financial wellness of their work force that reveals areas where their employees need further education. Through this, LPL advisers are able to offer sponsors custom financial education programs to address the needs of individual work forces.

WMSI provides Web and call center technology that brings together plan and participant data from different recordkeeping systems so advisers and sponsors may help participants transition retirement plan accounts as employment status changes. 

Diversions June 27, 2013

Passengers Want Tech to Smooth Air Travel

Checking bags, printing boarding passes and flight delays are among the hassles travelers want technology to solve, a survey found.
Reported by

According to the “2013 NCR Traveler Experience” survey by NCR Corporation, most travelers want technology to smooth the bumps of travel and make trips easier and more convenient. Tasks such as checking bags, securing early boarding and finding and booking alternate flights were among the top mentions.

Slightly more than a quarter of respondents (28%) said they were frustrated by waiting in line to check a bag after checking in online or via mobile device. Almost 19% of those surveyed said they did not check a bag because of the anticipated delay. In order to avoid waiting in line for an agent, a substantial majority (80%) said they would be willing to print their own luggage tags.

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Expenses invited both those willing to be enticed to spend money if offered discounts—49% said they’d be more likely to make a purchase at an airport if they received a coupon on the back of their boarding pass, 39% as part of their mobile boarding pass and 29% through airport digital signage—and those offered convenience in return—51% said they’d be willing to pay a nominal fee at a gate-side kiosk for priority boarding to avoid having to check bags at the last minute.

Flight delays and cancellations are a source of misery. More than half  (66%) said they’d experienced delayed or canceled flights; 44% had to wait more than an hour to be rebooked and 77% would like the opportunity to search for and book their own alternate flight via a mobile phone or a kiosk in the terminal rather than wait in line for an agent.

And the on-board experience also invited responses: 21% have had to check carry-on bags because overhead bins were full, and 19% wanted a blanket or snack, but there were none left to purchase. 

The survey of some 5,000 adult consumers in the U.S., the U.K., the United Arab Emirates, China and Brazil was conducted online by NCR Corporation in Duluth, Georgia.

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