The Markets October 8, 2008

Fidelity, Vanguard, T. Rowe To Use Treasury Guarantee

Fidelity Investments, Vanguard Group, and T. Rowe Price Group all said they will join the U.S. Treasury Department's guarantee program for money market funds.
Reported by

The Wall Street Journal reports that this means all the major fund families will participate in the program. Tuesday, The Hartford announced it will participate in the program (see “Hartford to Participate in Money Market Guarantee Program“). Other late holdouts were Nationwide Funds and Van Kampen Investments, which said Monday their money-market funds will join the program. Wednesday is the deadline for funds to join.

“Fidelity and the trustees believe that it is in the interests of our fund shareholders to participate in the program,” said Adam Banker, a Fidelity spokesman, in a statement to the WSJ. “Even though it is highly unlikely that the insurance will be needed for any of our funds, we expect the program to reassure our investors that their money-market funds will continue to provide safety and liquidity for their cash investments.”

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Vanguard said the program should provide a “shot of confidence” to money market fund investors, according to the news report.

Products October 8, 2008

Executor’s Resource Launches Estate Web Tool

Executor’s Resource launched EstateLogic, an estate and legacy preparation Web offering.
Reported by

The Louisville, Colorado-based company said the EstateLogic product is designed for advisers to help Baby Boomers prepare for the transfer of their financial assets and personal legacies to successive generations.

According to a press release, EstateLogic is a secure, Web-based tool that walks clients through the process of organizing, communicating, and archiving the details of their estate and personal legacy. It also offers how-to content and resources. The product is designed for individuals to use in collaboration with a financial adviser.

Executor’s Resource said it is distributing EstateLogic through advisers and financial services institutions through its Advisor as Partner program. It offers advisers discounted rates for their clients, co-branding opportunities and marketing and service materials and is designed to be complementary to what financial advisers offer. Executor’s Resource is building relationships with financial adviser networks to add EstateLogic to their service offering, the company said.

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The release said in today’s market turbulence, Baby Boomers expect more out of their advisers, seeking to understand how investment performance impacts lifestyle choices from health care to when to retire, to charitable giving and tax planning. Carl “Skip’ Rapp, CEO of Executor’s Resource, said in the release that advisers who look for the whole picture will be rewarded in their businesses.

“With trillions of dollars transitioning between generations over the next several decades, advisers need to lay a solid foundation now with their clients and their families in order to be successful in capturing and retaining assets,’ Rapp said. “Money in motion goes hand in hand with client emotion. The costs and pain associated with a loved one’s passing can be greatly reduced when an estate has been properly organized in advance and all of the players are cognizant of their tasks and responsibilities.’

More information is available at www.executorsresource.com.

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