Deals & People March 12, 2009

Securian Names 2009 Board for Women Advisers' Council

Nine female financial advisers from across the country were named to lead Securian Financial Group’s Women’s Interactive Sales Exchange (WISE) Council.
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The goal of WISE is to recruit, support, and retain female advisers, who represent 20% of the advisers in the industry, according to a release from Securian.

Securian said WISE Council members for 2009 are:

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  • Julie Bower, WISE board president, Tax and Financial Group, Newport Beach, California
  • Cara Bancheros, SGC Financial Services, San Mateo, California
  • Jan Beal, Securian Advisors MidAmerica, Hiawatha, Iowa
  • Jennifer Blanchard, Commonwealth Financial Group, Daniel Island, South Carolina
  • Julie Boschert Hercules, Renaissance Financial Group, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Chris Insinger, Heritage Financial Services, Omaha, Nebraska
  • Kim Luthy, Langdon Ford Financial, Parsippany, New Jersey
  • Brandy Navarro, SGC Financial, San Mateo, California
  • Jean Duffy Ulrichson, Holmes Murphy Financial Advisors, Des Moines, Iowa.

Securian said research finds that women who reach their four-year anniversary as financial advisers likely will not continue in the career and be successful. The firm built the program to give women in its adviser force a network of colleagues who can share experiences and improve the odds that they will make it through the first four years. Since creating the program in 2004, Securian said it has increased its female adviser force by nearly 10%.

“WISE has been life-changing for many advisers,’ said Julie Bower, WISE board president, in the release. “Our members often are the only female advisers in their firms and it helps to build camaraderie with advisers at other firms and share ideas, insight, and inspiration.’

Products March 12, 2009

Fidelity Introduces Talent Management Program for RIAs

Fidelity Investments introduced a new program to help registered independent advisers (RIAs) hire, develop, and retain employees.
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The program, part of the Fidelity Practice Management Program, is also designed to help brokers looking to establish their own RIA firms develop effective talent management policies and procedures as they transition to independence, Fidelity said in a press release.

Fidelity Advisor HR Solutions, built in conjunction with human resources and talent management consulting firm Veritude, offers customized consulting services, as well as training programs for management development, team-building, and organizational effectiveness, the release said. The program includes a new Web site that features planning resources, tools, and white papers.

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“With their assets and revenues under significant pressure, now more than ever RIAs need to make sure they are getting the most out of their employees,” said Ronald Fiske executive vice president at Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services. “Our new program can help advisers more effectively manage HR by providing access to the high-quality resources they may need to help motivate employees and maximize their productivity.”

Fidelity noted the increased competition for advisers right now, citing research from Cerulli Associates that only 3% of advisers are under the age of 30 (see “Recruiting Young Advisers Requires Less Traditional Approach“). Fidelity and others have noted the increased completion for advisers right now, and that the current market turmoil could prompt more advisers to go the independent route (see “Competition for Advisers Heats Up“).

 

 

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