hot off the presses
Sponsor and Participant Tools
In retirement plans that offer Vanguard Financial Planning Services, participants nearing retirement now have free access to a Vanguard Certified Financial Planner with the Ask a CFP Professional service.
American United Life Insurance Company (AUL), a OneAmerica company, introduced MEP Choice 401(k), a multiple-employer 401(k) option for small- to mid-size employers.
Transamerica Retirement Services unveiled a mobile application, the “TRS Mobile Enroller,” that it says allows employees to enroll in a retirement plan in as little as three minutes, even during an enrollment meeting.
The Newport Group introduced a Focus on Total Rewards benchmarking analysis, which provides comprehensive intelligence about executive benefits
Principal Funds, the mutual fund arm of the Principal Financial Group, developed a suite of tools related to Social Security, including a paper for advisers, “What You May Not Know About Social Security Benefits,” a step-by-step guide for investors, and a dedicated Web site for Social Security resources.
MassMutual’s Retirement Services Division created RetireSmart, a participant education program, which includes a Facebook page, an enhanced participant Web site, and an interactive game that “ages” participants to help them plan.
ING’s U.S. Retirement Services is expanding the Portfolio Blueprint program, to include health care, education, and not-for-profit employers sponsoring qualified 401(a), 401(k), and 403(b) retirement plans.
Wells Fargo launched a Web site, “Beyond Today,” aimed at helping women get more comfortable with retirement savings issues.
The Principal Financial Group published a white paper, “New Participant Fee Disclosure Rules: What Plan Sponsors Need To Know,” to help plan sponsors understand and comply with new fee disclosure rules.
GuidedChoice launched GuidedSpending 2.0, a major revision of its retirement income advice program.
Merrill Edge, a new financial management platform, combines the banking of Bank of America (BofA) with the investment strategies of Merrill Lynch.
Adviser Tools
Howard Capital Management (HCM) and Folio Institutional made an arrangement to enable Folio-affiliated advisers and their clients to use HCM’s retirement plan analysis tool, the 401(k) Optimizer.
Robinson & Associates is introducing the Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) calculator, meant to illustrate to advisers how valuable existing clients are, in contrast to the cost of attracting new clients.
American Pension Services, Inc., creator of The Platinum 401(k) program, announced a partnership with T3Direct Marketing of Modesto, California. T3D will offer a $200 discount from its standard $695 cost for advisers who arrange appointments with prospective clients to discuss the Platinum program.
Franklin Templeton created a guide to help advisers and their clients understand how global investments increasingly may serve as a core component within portfolio allocations.
Raymond James Asset Management Services and RiverFront Investment Group announced four model portfolios on the Raymond James Freedom Unified Managed Account platform.
RidgeWorth Investments is introducing five monthly podcasts that will offer asset class updates and information for investment professionals.
Charles Schwab has developed a “Select List” of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to help investors choose the best one for their portfolios.
RIA in a Box has created Microsoft Word-based templates with instructions for the new ADV 2A and 2B forms.
The Hartford Financial Services Group is introducing a service to help advisers identify potential risks associated with retirement plans and educate plan sponsors about how to eliminate those risks.
Fidelity Investments introduced “Referral-EDGE,” a Web-based research tool designed to help advisers find prospective clients and networking opportunities. The tool is an extension of Fidelity’s Centers of Influence (COI) and Referral Strategies program.
Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon company, published an independent study that examines how a dually registered adviser can combine a fee-based and commission-based business.
Lincoln Financial Network, the retail distribution division of Lincoln Financial Group, expanded its Office of Practice Management (OPM) services to include strategic business planning, marketing support, compliance consulting, staffing support, technology upgrades, and continued training.
MFS Investment Management has teamed with TPA(k)nowledge.com to offer complimentary access to TPALocator Service, a national network of third-party administrators (TPAs).
Dalbar and FiduciaryPlanReview.com announced a joint venture to deliver fee disclosure materials that will be required by broker/dealers under the new 408(b)(2) regulations.
Recordkeeper BPAS has partnered with Fiduciary Benchmarks to provide 408(b)(2) summary disclosure documents and independent third-party benchmarking to all BPAS clients.
TD Ameritrade Institutional is launching TD Ameritrade Advisor Education, a customizable learning management system for independent registered investment advisers (RIAs).
Wells Fargo launched the Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust Resource Center to help advisers avoid “information overload” when it comes to selecting a plan provider.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney upgraded its fee and service benchmarking tools, with the help of Fiduciary Benchmarks. The tools will enable MSSB’s Corporate Retirement Directors (CRDs) to provide insight to plan sponsors about their plans’ fees and services.
Securian Retirement introduced a “Compensation Calculator” for advisers, and a “Fiduciary Focus” guide for advisers to share with plan sponsor clients.
Investments
Putnam Investments announced plans to offer a suite of retirement income funds that build strategies based on participants’ risk tolerance. The Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyles 1, 2, and 3 have varying degrees of risk, and all contain absolute return funds.
MetLife, Inc., and PIMCO created a retirement income solution that combines investment and insurance products. The solution combines PIMCO mutual funds, designed to provide monthly distributions to help protect against inflation risk, and separately purchased MetLife longevity insurance to provide monthly lifetime income after mutual fund distributions end.
Western & Southern Financial Group’s member companies have introduced VAROOM—Variable Annuity for Roll Over Only Money. VAROOM offers investors access to 19 subaccount options, including 18 individual ETFs and a money market portfolio, from iShares and Vanguard.
Everence Capital Management launched the MMA Praxis International Index Fund (MPLAX for Class A Shares, MPLIX for Class I Shares), a “socially-screened” fund.
Great-West Retirement Services and John Hancock investment options will be added to American Pension Services’ multiple-employer plan solution.
Prudential Investments announced the launch of its Q Share class for select mutual funds, designed to meet fee transparency needs of group retirement plans.
UBS Global Asset Management has launched the UBS Fixed Income Opportunities Fund.
3D Asset Management and Ascensus teamed up to offer exchange-traded fund (ETF) asset allocation portfolios.
Goldman Sachs Asset Management International announced the U.S. launch of the Goldman Sachs N-11 (“Next-11”) Equity Fund (Class A shares: GSYAX).
Russell Investments and Research Affiliates launched an index series based on Research Affiliates’ Fundamental Index methodology.
Transamerica introduced Retirement Income Max, an optional living benefit rider, available with Transamerica’s suite of variable annuities.
Putnam Investments plans to launch a version of its Absolute Return 500 Fund for use by insurance companies in variable annuities and other variable insurance products.
361° Capital, an investment management firm focused on alternative investments for institutions, launched its first mutual fund, the 361° Absolute Alpha Fund.
Financial Engines rolled out Income+, a retirement income solution that uses a money management approach that does not seek to maximize return, but to create a floor amount of income.
John Hancock Funds launched the John Hancock Alternative Asset Allocation Fund.
Efficient Market Advisors, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) separate account manager, is offering professionally managed portfolios of ETFs to 403(b) plans.