Products April 30, 2009

Online Tools Allow Anyone to Compare Plans

AtPrime Media, Inc., has announced a new service, Compare and Rank Online Service, previously unavailable to the general public.
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AtPrime is the sponsor of the @Prime! Pension Inspector, a consumer and professional online tool for determining the financial performance of qualified retirement plans.

Developed by retirement plan technical experts, the @Prime! Pension Inspector “Compare and Rank” is a software that enables the user to compare and rank plan earnings, expenses, balance sheet items, plan income, and funding ratios with other qualified retirement plans from official Form 5500 tax returns, as well as recognized financial market performance indexes, according to a press release.

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Once the user completes the initial query, the user has the option of adding multiple reports combined into a printable Plan Report Card. Every Compare and Rank query is developed based upon industry, location, zip code, size, or plan features. In addition, the company said, plan earnings each year are compared automatically with five stock and five bond indexes.

“For the first time anyone can compare and rank any qualified retirement plan that files the required Form 5500 Tax Return, from the plan participant, plan administrator, to government agencies, in order to measure plan strengths and weaknesses, as well as to prepare for a plan audit or to strengthen year-to-year performance,” said David Tananbaum, founder of AtPrime Media, Inc., and the author-developer of the @Prime! Pension Inspector, in the release.

The @Prime! Pension Inspector, launched in November 2007, will remain a free Web service in its standard version, utilizing the Department of Labor’s Form 5500 database. The @Prime! Pension Inspector Compare and Rank is a subscription service selling for $99 per year for a personal license, and $199 per year for a professional license.

More information is available here.

Products April 30, 2009

iShares Helps Advisers Spot Competitively Priced ETFs in 401(k)s

iShares has launched the "iShares in 401(k) Program" to help financial advisers better utilize exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as standard investment options.
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iShares said its new offering identifies administrative providers and networks that offer competitively priced access to ETFs in 401(k) accounts, making it easier for financial advisers, according to a news release.

iShares has identified PAi and Ascensus as the first Preferred Providers and Mid Atlantic Financial Platforms as the first Preferred Network, and plans to selectively add more providers and networks in the future, the release said.

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Preferred Providers are administrators that offer fully bundled ETF 401(k) solutions to financial advisers. Preferred Networks are custodians or technology providers that enable all the administrators on their network to offer ETF 401(k) plans.

“Financial advisers and their clients are increasingly requesting access to ETFs in 401(k) plans, but many financial advisers struggle to find an administrator that can effectively deliver ETFs,” said Darek Wojnar, head of iShares Product Research and Strategy, in the news release. “iShares is making it easier for financial advisers to learn about effective ETF 401(k) solutions while remaining focused on their main priority of staying closely connected with their clients and portfolios.”

More information is available at www.iShares401k.com.

 

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