Prudential Acquires MullinTBG

September 11, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Prudential Insurance Company of America has entered into an agreement to acquire MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, LLC (MullinTBG).

According to the terms of the agreement, Prudential will acquire MullinTBG, a provider of executive benefit solutions and financing strategies, including deferred compensation programs, and related entities (see  2008 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan (NQDCP) Buyer’s Guide ). MullinTBG will operate as an additional business unit of Prudential Retirement, and will retain its brand, business model and strategic distribution relationships, including continuing as a member firm of M Financial Group.

Corporate and participant investment advisory services will also be offered through MullinTBG Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser and MullinTBG company.

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“Prudential Retirement is responding to our clients and their increasing needs to provide nonqualified administration and funding as an integral part of retirement planning for their executives,” said Christine Marcks, president of Prudential Retirement. “We want to help companies simplify and enhance their benefit offerings by strengthening our position as a single source for both qualified and nonqualified retirement plans.”


MullinTBG Business

According to the  announcement , MullinTBG is a provider of executive benefit solutions and financing strategies, including nonqualified executive deferred compensation plans that encompass lifelong financial care through MullinTBG Advisors, a Registered Investment Adviser and MullinTBG Company. MullinTBG focuses on nonqualified benefits programs for Fortune 1000 clients, and currently administers and/or services over 650 customized plans with nearly 60,000 executive participants and $21 billion in total assets as of June 30, 2008. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, also home to its client-service center, and has regional offices in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, and Newport Beach.

“MullinTBG and Prudential share a deep commitment to the retirement business,” said Michael Shute, CEO of MullinTBG. “As a leading financial services company, Prudential will provide even greater strength and resources for MullinTBG to serve clients’ evolving retirement needs. Expanding our retirement solutions with Prudential Retirement creates tremendous synergies between the two firms’ core businesses, without compromising MullinTBG’s unbiased approach and exceptional ability to design, administer and finance customized executive benefit programs.”

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Higher Ed Cost Increases Up Slightly in 2008

September 10, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - New data shows higher education costs were up 3.6% in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, a 20-basis point rise above the 3.4% hike seen a year earlier.

ACommonfund Institute news release about its   Higher Education Price Index (HEPI)said the latest figure compares with an annualized Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 3.7% for the same period.

Eight cost factors contribute to the HEPI regression calculation: Faculty Salaries, Administrative Salaries, Clerical, Service Employees, Fringe Benefits, Miscellaneous Services, Supplies & Materials and Utilities.  

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Components most heavily weighted are Faculty and Clerical Salaries and Fringe Benefits. Supplies & Materials and Utilities represent the second-lowest and third-lowest weightings, respectively. Taken together, these two cost factors have a weighting of 12.3% in the regression equation that determines the final figure.

Among the other cost factors, while the inflation rate of Faculty Salaries stayed constant at 3.8%, Administrative Salaries’ inflation rate increased from 4% to 5%. The inflation rates of the other four factors showed a decline.

Clerical salaries increased by 3.1% versus 3.6% last year, Service Employee costs increased by 3.2% versus 4%, Fringe Benefit inflation slowed to 3.7% from 5%, and inflation for Miscellaneous Services declined to 3.4% from 4.2%.

More information is at  http://www.commonfund.org/Commonfund/CF+Institute/CI_About_HEPI.htm .

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