hot off the presses

Sponsor and Participant Tools 

MassMutual’s Retirement Services ­Division introduced RetireSmart Ready, a tool to help participants calculate and implement saving rates and asset-allocation strategies.

Through a relationship with Ibbotson­ Associates, TIAA-CREF will offer plan sponsors an additional option for independent, third-party fiduciary services. As part of the service, Ibbotson created three model investment menus for plan sponsors to choose from, as well as an approved list of investments for those who want to create their own menus.

Mutual of Omaha is offering a plan-level fiduciary service option to its retirement plan customers through Mesirow Financial. The service has been developed to address plan ­sponsor needs under section 3(38) of ERISA at the individual plan level.

The Profit Sharing/401k Council of America is offering Hueler Income Solutions’ platform to its plan sponsor member companies. The Hueler solution includes a Web-based annuity purchasing option that allows employees to compare income annuities from leading insurance companies.

BCG Bankruptcy Retirement Plan Services and Millennium Trust Company have teamed up to offer rollover and termination services for retirement plans of bankrupt employers.

401k Widgets’ product line has been expanded to include a glossary, checklist, and FAQs, enhancing a set of tools that already includes a Roth 401k Calculator and a 401k Paycheck Calculator; a 401k Guideline, Solo 401k, and Retirement Industry News widgets. Retirement plan sponsors can select any combination of widgets to display on their Web sites.

Broad Financial expanded its Education Center, providing more financial advice on IRA and 401(k) plans. It added an infographic that illustrates how a properly diversified portfolio should look, and tips about how IRA and 401(k) funds can be invested in real estate, an area in which Broad Financial specializes.

Principal Financial Group launched a financial education campaign called “Dream Again.” The Dream Again Web site has resources for advisers, businesses, and individuals including the “Dreamcatcher”—a social application that helps people visualize, organize, and prioritize their financial goals.

eRollover announced it will provide the U.S. open-end mutual fund platform from Morningstar to its members to research trailing performance. In addition, eRollover will provide the Morningstar Rating for Funds via proprietary analytical tools.

Still River Retirement Planning Software and RetirementWORKS developed a retirement consulting unit, along with four white papers, to present its strategies for the retirement marketplace. Its emphasis is on helping­ older employees prepare for retirement­, and helping retirees maintain or improve­ their financial situation.

AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company partnered with Wilshire Associates Incorporated to help plan sponsors meet their fiduciary obligations in screening, selecting, and monitoring investment options. The services are available as part of AXA Equitable’s new Retirement Gateway group variable annuity designed to fund retirement plans for the small to mid-size market.

ING launched RetireWithING.com to help people make informed decisions about retirement, while allowing them to consult with a retirement professional if they want personal guidance.

Adviser Tools

BrightScope has introduced “Advisor­ Pages,” a free, public database of advisers with information regarding assets under management, fee arrangement­, client types, experience, and employment history.

Invesco rolled out PlanForward Foundations, a series of toolkits designed to help financial advisers grow their defined contribution (DC) business. The toolkits are titled “Finding Your Place in the Defined Contribution Market,” “Generating Leads and Prospecting,” and “Putting Fiduciary Responsibility in Action.”

Jackson National Life Insurance Company developed the Portfolio Construction Tool to help advisers build customized investment portfolios within its variable annuity offerings; no asset allocation restrictions and being able to select the mix of subaccount options are key features.

John Hancock Financial Network (JHFN) is expanding its practice management platform, Build4Success, with a business valuation by FP Transitions, a provider of equity management services and business assessment, and coaching services by Business Health, an international practice management consultancy firm.

Archimedes Systems introduced a required minimum distribution (RMD) tool, “RMD-Stretch IRA,” to help advisers and their clients plan a retirement distribution strategy, while providing important information for estate and tax-planning strategies. 

TD Ameritrade Institutional is launching the “Veo Mobile” iPad app as part of its “future adviser workstation” objective, an open architecture technology platform that will allow advisers to access client account details such as balances, transactions, and profile ­information, as well as real-time market data, news, and alerts.

ftwilliam.com, a provider of inte­grated­­ Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for third-party administrators (TPAs) and others in the retirement industry, is introducing a DB(k) document, a combined 401(k) document and either a cash balance or a defined benefit document in one plan.

National Advisors Trust Company added Envestnet UMA—a customizable unified managed account solution—to its platform for registered investment advisers (RIAs). Envestnet UMA combines multiple investment products into one account, enabling RIAs to simplify account maintenance while delivering portfolio options that are tailored to client risk profiles, needs, and objectives.

Putnam Investments is launching FundVisualizer, a tool for researching­ mutual fund data, designed to be “visually compelling.” FundVisualizer offers side-by-side evaluations of more than 10,000 investment choices.

Pershing created retirementpowerplay.com to help financial professionals grow their business by targeting the rollover market.

Russell Investments launched the Advisor Health Index, a tool that provides financial advisers with a high-level “health” assessment of their practice in comparison to other advisory firms.

Actiance, a firm specializing in Internet-­based security, management, and compliance issues, has partnered with LinkedIn to broaden social media usage by financial service professionals. Actiance will have access to Linked­In’s private application programming interface (API), and allow its customers to customize settings to be in compliance with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

National Advisors Trust, through EPIC Advisors, Inc., is offering a branded 401(k) program with open-architecture and daily valuation services to its shareholder adviser firms.

Commonwealth Financial Network has partnered with Erado Message Control to offer advisers a social media compliance solution, enabling advisers to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs while meeting FINRA requirements for review and retention of online marketing.

State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) and the Wharton School of Business have published a study, “Taking on the Role of Lead Advisor: A Model for Driving Assets, Growth and Retention,” which explores the relationship between investors and advisers post-recession.

Investments

TD Ameritrade Trust Company has expanded its platform to offer ­exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to 401(k) plan participants. The company simplified operations for recordkeepers by developing a trading process that mirrors mutual fund trading and is consistent with their current procedures. This process also includes the ability to trade fractional shares of ETFs.

Security Benefit, a Guggenheim Partners Company, launched EliteDesigns as the inaugural product for its Personal Retirement Savings (PRS) initiative. EliteDesigns combines a tax-deferred variable annuity with 200 investment options for RIAs and other fee-based advisers and their clients.

The Dreyfus Corporation launched the Dreyfus Total Emerging Markets Fund, an actively managed mutual fund that typically will invest at least 80% of its assets in the securities of emerging market issuers and other investments that are tied economically to emerging market countries.

GoodHaven launched the GoodHaven Fund. The fund managers will focus on: free cash flow; a strong balance sheet; products or services that fill basic human needs or wants; owner/managers with demonstrated skill in capital allocation; participation in stressed industries; potential for long-term growth; and a demonstrated ability to increase prices.

MFS Investment Management has launched MFS Global Multi-Asset Fund and MFS Absolute Return Fund, which seek total return. MFS will allocate the fund’s assets to a mix of asset classes; tactically manage the fund’s exposure to asset classes, markets, and currencies; and select individual securities within each ­asset class.

Prudential Investments added two mutual funds to its real estate offerings, The Prudential U.S. Real Estate Fund and the Prudential International Real Estate Fund, to give investors the opportunity to focus on specific markets.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management unveiled the Goldman Sachs High Yield Floating Rate Fund, which is a portfolio of non-investment-grade floating-rate loans and other variable-rate securities issued by U.S. and foreign companies.

Columbia Management launched two open-end mutual funds: the Columbia Absolute Return Multi-Strategy Fund and the Columbia Absolute Return Enhanced Multi-Strategy Fund.

FundQuest introduced the ActivePassive Portfolio Console. The portfolios are professionally managed solutions using ActivePassive funds, which are designed to provide investors with benefits of active and passive investment approaches within one fund.

7Twelve Advisors, LLC, launched the 7Twelve Balanced Fund, which seeks to provide superior risk-adjusted returns when compared with the bond and equity markets within a balanced fund structure.

Prudential Investments introduced three fixed-income funds: the Prudential Floating Rate Income Fund, the Prudential Absolute Return Bond Fund, and the Prudential Emerging Markets Debt Local Currency Fund.

Bandon Capital Management launched the Bandon Isolated Alpha Fixed Income Fund, a global absolute return-oriented fixed income strategy. The fund is intended to be an “all season” strategy for investors seeking consistent returns through all market environments.