Deals & People December 16, 2010

Buckley Joins Great-West Sales Team

Great-West Retirement Services has appointed John Buckley as regional sales director for Louisiana.
Reported by

In this newly created position, Buckley is responsible for developing 401(k) plan business through brokers, financial advisers, consultants, wire houses, and third-party administrators (TPAs). He is based in Covington, Louisiana, and will report to Joe Smolen, regional vice president.

Buckley joins Great-West Retirement Services after 10 years with John Hancock, where he served as regional vice president for Louisiana and Mississippi. While at John Hancock, his responsibilities included developing defined contribution and defined benefit plan business with financial advisers and TPAs. 

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Before he joined John Hancock, Buckley was an account representative with Alta Health & Life Insurance for two years. Buckley attended Florida State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Finance.

Products December 16, 2010

Ascensus Enhances Retirement Platform

Ascensus, a retirement plan solutions provider for broker/dealers and RIAs, announced enhancements to its retirement platform that it says “simplify retirement plan management.”
Reported by

New capabilities focus on four primary areas: simplified pricing, expanded plan sponsor reporting, fiduciary protection, and participant education. New plans effective 1/1/11 will benefit from an improved pricing structure; Ascensus has eliminated the one-time fee for establishing or converting a plan, according to the announcement.   

The company has increased reporting capabilities with the online quarterly Planillustrator report. Planillustrator consolidates plan information into a package giving both financial advisers and plan sponsors the ability to track key plan metrics such as plan demographics, capital market review, investment lineup review, and fund fact sheets.   

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Ascensus has also broadened its education program for plan participants. Each year, Ascensus will automatically send customized communications to employees who either aren’t contributing or who aren’t contributing enough to maintain a desired retirement lifestyle. These targteted communications are personalized and proactively prompt employees to save for retirement goals with sample illustrations and helpful suggestions, the announcement said.  Ascensus mails these communications at no additional cost to the plan sponsor.  

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