Products March 19, 2009

Newkirk Provides Communication Material for Auto-Enrolled Plans

Newkirk unveiled enrollment communication called AutoBook, which is designed for qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) and eligible automatic contribution arrangement (EACA) plans.
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According to a press release from the provider of defined contribution plan communications, AutoBook:

  • provides all necessary information to employees who are about to be automatically enrolled in a sponsor’s plan, including opt-out instructions for plan participation, automatic deferral increase, and default investment;
  • incorporates qualified default investment alternative (QDIA) notice information;
  • discloses administrative, participant, and investment fees.

AutoBook is customized on a plan-by-plan basis, and users can optionally include additional information such as plan highlights and fund descriptions, Newkirk said.

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Newkirk said the new booklet’s 5-by-8-inch size lowers production costs and offers potential distribution savings for providers or sponsors who mail their materials to newly eligible participants. The company is also able to print half-sized booklets.

More information is available by visiting www.newkirk.com or calling 800.525.4237.

 

Products March 19, 2009

Vanguard's New Small-Cap Index Fund Covers Developed, Emerging Markets

Shares of Vanguard's new international small-cap index fund , Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund, are now available for purchase.
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According to a press release, a two-week subscription period began Thursday and is expected to end April 2, after which the fund will implement its long-term investment strategy.

Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund offers Investor Shares, with an estimated expense ratio of 0.60%, and Institutional Shares, with an estimated expense ratio of 0.35%. The fund’s ETF Shares (NYSE Arca: VSS) will launch at the conclusion of the subscription period and will have an estimated expense ratio of 0.38%.

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The announcement said the new fund seeks to track the investment performance of the FTSE Global Small Cap ex US Index, a benchmark of approximately 3,300 stocks of companies located in 47 countries. According to Lipper data, the new Vanguard fund is the only international index fund in the industry to offer exposure to small-cap stocks of both developed and emerging markets outside the United States in a single portfolio.

The minimum initial investment requirement for Vanguard FTSE All-World ex- US Small-Cap Index Fund is $3,000 for Investor Shares and $5 million for Institutional Shares. There will be a 0.75% fee on purchases and redemptions of the Investor and Institutional Shares to help defray the transaction costs associated with buying and selling foreign securities.

The purchase and redemption fees do not apply while the subscription period is in effect.

More information is available at www.vanguard.com.

 

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