PenChecks is offering the new Premium
IRA Fiduciary Service, which enables
retirement plans with mandatory distribution provisions to satisfy the government’s requirements with distributions up
to $5,000, as well as missing participants with larger balances.
Focus Retirement Plan Partners
announced an enhanced suite of retirement plan consulting services available
to plan sponsors and financial advisers.
The services include the Vendor Fiduciary Review, a side-by-side evaluation
of the incumbent provider versus four
other retirement vendors, comparing
fees, investments, and more than 250
data points in areas such as technology,
recordkeeping, compliance, and
employee education.
ADVISER TOOLS
iShares introduced three free separately
managed account (SMA) Web tools for
financial professionals and their clients.
The tools provide “apple-to-apple”
comparisons with SMAs versus iShares
ETFs, stocks, and mutual funds. They also
compare standard deviation, active risk,
active return, cumulative returns, and
asset correlations.
ShareBuilder 401k, provider of 401(k)
plans for businesses with one to 250
employees, has introduced a 401(k)
offering to be sold through registered
investment advisers (RIAs). RIAs log
into the ShareBuilder 401k PRO Web
site, type in their client’s information
and, in about 30 seconds, they have a
proposal they can e-mail to clients, or
print and provide in person.
Pershing LLC began providing introducing broker/dealer and independent
RIA customers with access to a performance reporting solution from Black
Diamond through NetX360, Pershing’s
technology platform. Through Black
Diamond, Pershing clients are able to
view a complete portfolio of their clients’
assets, including assets held away from
Pershing.
RIA In A Box, a consulting business that
helps set up RIA firms, offers mock audit
services to RIA firms that want extra
preparation for regulatory audits. The
service initially is available to those
RIAs established by RIA In A Box. The
company also is offering review services
to RIAs to ensure advertising materials
are in compliance. The consulting
firm will view all materials—advertising,
business cards, letterheads, and Web
sites—to check that they meet federal
and state requirements.
McGraw-Hill’s Financial Communications released Advisor Marketing
Solutions, an online program designed
to help financial advisers attract
prospects and build client relationships.
The tool offers a targeted approach to
help advisers build a specific segment
of their businesses.
Security Administrators, Inc., a subsidiary of Security Mutual Life Insurance
Company, introduced a guide for
financial advisers about fully insured
plans and cash balance plans.
As Charles Schwab reports seeing an
uptick in advisers going independent,
the firm released a white paper to help
advisers considering the transition. “A
Case for Starting or Joining a Registered
Investment Advisory (RIA) Firm” examines
