Deals and People May 24, 2010

Transamerica Appoints New Southern Regional Vice President

May 24, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Transamerica Retirement Services has hired Linda Kurz as regional vice president in the company’s Southern Region.
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Kurz will be based in Gainesville, Virginia, and will oversee all sales and distribution activities in Virginia.  She will report to Steven Dunlap, Transamerica’s divisional vice president for the Southern Region.     

According to a press release, Kurz has nearly 20 years of professional experience in the retirement industry.  She joins Transamerica from ING Financial Advisors, where for more than seven years she was responsible for sales and marketing of qualified retirement plans through financial advisers and third party administrators.  Kurz most recently served as a regional vice president for the company, having also served as a regional sales director and regional director of client relations.      

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Kurz received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Mary Washington College.

Administration May 24, 2010

Rate of Return Tops List of Info Investors Want

May 24, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - DALBAR, Inc. has released its national study of what investors expect to see in a statement from financial services companies.
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DALBAR’s Investor Statement Preferences study found the overall rate of return in the account is the single most important statement item, with over half of the respondents ranking it as critically important. Total fees charged was the second highest rated item investors want on their statements, according to a press release.

Sections that summarize statement details are also critical to understanding. Over half of investors consider statement messages from their financial adviser to be important.  

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“Declining trust in financial services has pushed up demand for fee disclosure,” said Kathleen Whalen, Managing Director at DALBAR, in the announcement. “It’s clear that investors want to know what benefits they receive in the form of returns and what these benefits are costing them.” 

DALBAR said the results of the study contribute to the weighting of its statement rating criteria, which are used to evaluate individual investment and benefit statements.  

A copy of the study can be purchased here, or contact Brooke Halloran at 617-624-7273 or bhalloran@dalbar.com.

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