Products July 1, 2010

Fidelity Remakes Environmental Fund

 
Fidelity Investments has announced it has restructured its 20‐year‐old Select Environmental Portfolio to increase exposure to faster growing industries, such as alternative energy and energy efficiency, while reducing exposure to slower growth industries, such as waste management. 
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A Fidelity news release said that as a result, the fund likely will have a broader investment universe and a higher allocation to foreign markets due to the global nature of the alternative and renewable energy industries. 

  

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With these changes, Fidelity has renamed the fund, “Fidelity Select Environment and Alternative Energy Portfolio,” to better reflect its new investment policies and focus, the company said. 

  

“In recent years, there has been substantial progress within the environment and alternative energy industries,” said Brian B. Hogan, president, Equity Group. “The rapid pace of technological advancements, the increased social and political focus on environmental protection, as well as the growing demand for energy and other natural resources from industrializing economies has led to increased investment interest in the sector as well as a broader investment universe in these areas. We 

believe those developments present exciting opportunities for Select Environment and Alternative Energy Portfolio and its shareholders.” 

Products July 1, 2010

Transamerica Offers TPA Education

Transamerica Retirement Services recently launched two new resources to help third party administrators build and expand their own retirement plan business. 
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According to a recent press release, Transamerica Retirement Services Industry Speakers Bureau and TPA Administrator Training Institute are designed to help third party administrators better understand the opportunities available in the retirement market, and provide them with the strategies and tools to grow their own business.  

The Transamerica Retirement Services Industry Speakers Bureau is a quarterly, interactive webinar. The site features discussions with retirement industry thought-leaders from across the country on current issues of interest to TPA owners and administrators, from liability and tax penalties, to conflicts of interest and fiduciary responsibility. 

Future Speakers Bureau Webinars have been scheduled through 2010: 

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September 28: Charles Lockwood, Principal at ASC Institute, a pension consulting firm; and 

December 7: Sal Tripodi, Founder of TRI Pension Services, a nationally-based consulting practice in the employee benefits area. 

The TPA Administrator Training Institute is a monthly webinar for TPA firms that work with Transamerica, and each training session is hosted by National TPA Account Manager Mike Zahariades. The webinars cover topics related to the varied functions of Transamerica’s web-based technology, including year-end efficiencies and 5500 tools and resources.  

 

TPAs and administrators who are interested in attending either series and would like to be included on the invitation lists can contact Wendy.Carrillo@Transamerica.com. 

 

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