Benefits September 23, 2009

Bond Education a Key in Advisers' Client Contacts

September 23, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Financial advisers have significant opportunities to help clients navigate through the turbulent waters of the economic downturn since many Americans are confused about where their investments are and where they need to go.
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A news release from the Hartford Mutual Funds Findings reveals Americans in a recent poll were less confident and more conservative about their personal finances than they were a year ago.

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Most notably, U.S. investors responding to the poll were open to fresh approaches to asset allocation. Fifty-three percent are more invested in bonds or cash.

A significant goal for many respondents: just trying to hang onto assets they have now.

“This may sound like bad news, but it’s actually a tremendous opportunity for financial advisers,” said John Diehl, senior vice president with The Hartford’s Investment and Retirement Division. “Investors admit they are unsure what path to take as we emerge from the financial crisis, and the adviser can play a crucial role in helping to identify next steps.”

According to The Hartford, respondents knew their holdings were more conservative than a year ago, but couldn’t explain exactly why.

While 30% said their portfolios are now more allocated to bonds, 28% don’t know how much of their total portfolio is allocated to fixed income. Some 72% said bond diversification is important, but when asked specifically about their fixed-income investments, they floundered. Over half don’t know which fixed-income asset classes they hold.

More than half of those surveyed said their advisers have never talked to them about holding different types of bonds in their portfolio, or they weren’t sure if they had discussed it.

“Some advisers spend a great deal of time diversifying the equity portion of their clients’ portfolios, and explaining the importance of it,” said Diehl, in The Hartford news release. “They may spend less time discussing bonds even though fixed-income diversification is just as important as equity diversification. This survey shows that investors need the guidance of their adviser to execute a diversified fixed-income strategy.”

The Hartford survey, which was conducted via the Internet by Zoomerang in June 2009, interviewed 530 individual investors over 30 who work with financial advisers. Fifty-one percent of those surveyed are retired, 32% work full-time, 12% work part-time and 5% do not currently work.

Deals and People September 22, 2009

Henry Named as LIMRA Exec.

September 22, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Paul Steven Henry has been tapped as managing director of Retirement Services for LIMRA, the Connecticut-based insurance and financial services marketing organization.
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A LIMRA news release said Henry’s appointment to the newly created role was effective September 14.

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In the new role, Henry is responsible for ensuring that LIMRA members who are, or seek to be, active in the retirement market fully benefit from LIMRA’s wide range of products, including research, compliance, training, and consulting services, the announcement said.

Henry has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, including 17 years as a strategist, head of marketing, and head of product development for industry leaders in the retirement market. Henry was previously vice president of product development at MassMutual Retirement Services.

Henry is a graduate of Valparaiso University in Indiana.

“Paul Henry brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to a newly created role at LIMRA,” said Robert Kerzner, president and CEO of LIMRA. “With more than 40 million retirees representing $13 trillion in net worth this year, it is important that companies employ the comprehensive research and knowledge that LIMRA has to better understand and reach this growing market. Paul is distinctly qualified to work with our member organizations to identify their unique needs and better access and deploy LIMRA resources that can be critical to their success in the retirement market.”

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