Products March 5, 2012

Matrix Financial Expands Mutual Fund Trading Platform

Matrix Financial Solutions is expanding its core mutual fund trading platform, offering advanced plan proposal and management features for financial advisers.
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The offering also provides broker/dealers access to a level compensation service and greater visibility into plan data.

The expanded Matrix product and service offering will help financial services firms and financial advisers more successfully navigate the retirement plan process, generate new business opportunities and comply with regulatory changes, all in an open-architecture environment.

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Matrix’s new products and services include:

 

  •  Data Feed Service – presents plan asset values, investment activity and other important information, and creates a window for broker/dealers into the activity of a firm’s adviser.
  •  Level Compensation Service – provides Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Registered broker/dealers the necessary certainty that all investment options available to plan participants will pay the firm and the representative a levelized compensation structure. The service is offered with two options—25 and 50 basis points. Matrix will manage all 12b-1 revenue collection and reconciliation efforts with the fund companies and offer a single payment and reporting via DTCC’s Commission Settlement service.
  •  RetireToolKit Desktop Proposal Generator - enables advisers to research, select and monitor funds on behalf of the plan from a universe of more than 20,000 investment options. The proposals can be easily packaged with pre-printed sales materials, giving advisers the ability to provide plan sponsors with a competitive package.
  •  RetireToolKit Desktop Report Generator - allows advisers to efficiently prepare and print quarterly and annual plan reviews for meetings with plan sponsors.

 

"The expansion of our service offering provides all the tools needed to help retirement plan providers comply and win in this evolving environment," said John Moody, president of Matrix. "With new fee disclosure regulations in place and fiduciary standards under review, increased visibility from an open- architecture process, at both the firm and adviser level, is being viewed as the solution to help them gain new business and comply with new regulatory changes."

Data & Research March 2, 2012

Retirement Planning a Hot Topic for Employees in 2011

Retirement planning was by far the most popular financial topic among employees in 2011, according to an analysis by Financial Finesse.
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Among calls to Financial Finesse’s help line, retirement planning questions accounted for 31% of the total in 2011, compared with 24% in 2010. Retirement planning was followed by debt management (14%), investing (14%) and budgeting and saving (13%) as the top areas of concern. In total, 62% of questions were related to long-term planning issues (compared with 55% in 2010).  

Despite the increased focus on retirement planning, retirement preparedness remains unchanged from 2010 as only 17% of employees indicated they are on track to replace 80% of their current income (or their own goal).   

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In 2011, employees reported reduced financial stress, with 19% indicating “high” or “overwhelming” levels of stress compared with 32% in 2010 and 33% in 2009. However, financial stress still remains a pervasive problem with 84% of employees reporting some level of financial stress. 

Ninety-two percent of employees said they contribute to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k), 457 or 403(b). Thirty-six percent feel confident that their investments are allocated appropriately.  

The Financial Finesse 2011 Research Year in Review report can be downloaded from http://www.financialfinesse.com/research-best-practices/.

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