Fidelity Bolsters Assets

Proquest LLC

Fidelity Investments announced it added more than $8.9 billion in new assets in the small- and mid-sized corporate defined contribution (DC) market last year - those plans with $50 million in assets or less - a new high in annual sales for that market and an increase of 7 percent over the prior year's sales.

According to a release, the company won more than 1,500 plans, an increase of 5 percent over 2012, and nearly 240,000 new participants.

"Employers of every size choose Fidelity to help them guide their workforce toward improved retirement savings outcomes," said Steve Patterson, executive vice president of sales, Fidelity Investments. "Fidelity's superior client service levels have always driven its success. But today clients also turn to Fidelity for its educational guidance for employees, innovative mobile and tablet offerings, and data analytics that enable well-informed decisions for employers and employees alike."

Clients in this market that joined Fidelity's platform in 2013 include Cole Haan, makers of fine shoes, bags and outerwear; Ariel Investments, a Chicago and New York-based money management firm; and Acceptance Insurance, offering auto, renters and other insurance products.

"When we work with employers in choosing a workplace retirement provider, we reinforce the importance of quality service and a firm that has programs in place to really help their employees be on track for a more successful retirement," said Robert Shy, an advisor with The Strategic Alliance Group of Raymond James. "Acceptance Insurance has offices in 12 states so it sought a provider with the resources and team to support their employees, whether they're at a desk in the home office, at a regional location, or on the road."

The Company noted that factors helping drive Fidelity's continued sales success include its educational workplace guidance experience within Plan for Life; digital platforms built with the participant in mind, such as Fidelity's award-winning1 benefits Website, NetBenefits; and mobile offerings like our new iPad tablet app. New participant-focused tools including Easy Enroll and Personal Progress Report will help employees quickly enroll in their retirement plan, set a deferral rate, select investment options, and gauge if they're on track. And, during America Saves Week in February, the company reinforced its participant education about saving just 1 percent more in a workplace plan and its possible impact on a person's retirement cash flow.

For employers, Fidelity added its client service teams have new capabilities to help them work with clients and advisors to build and administer the latest in workplace retirement plans. Fidelity's Executive Insights delivers dashboard analytics so employers understand how much retirement income their plan is designed to produce, how the plan is performing, and what requires attention. In addition, the company's new On Plan Indicator will put the analytics into the hands of employers and their advisors so they can evaluate if their workforce is on track with saving and age-based equity allocation, and where necessary, Fidelity offers guidance to help populations make informed changes.

These enhancements are available to Fidelity's entire defined contribution plan base of 23,200 employers, both corporate 401(k)s and tax-exempt institutions, that are serviced directly or through the company's relationships with 4,000 advisors nationwide.

Fidelity Investments is a provider of financial services.

More Information:

www.fidelity.com

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