Russell Launches LifePoints® CONNECT for Investment Advisors

New platform allows advisors to deliver institutional-quality advice and investment solutions to clients while streamlining service and support needs

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Russell Investments has launched a new client engagement platform for investment advisors – LifePoints® CONNECT – that enables individual advisors to engage particular clients in a meaningful and scalable way with profiling tools, investment and savings plans, access to globally diversified portfolios as well as quarterly economic and portfolio reviews.

“Our experience and research shows advisors face a significant challenge when helping all of their clients save, invest and ultimately emerge with a portfolio designed to meet their investment goals. Most lack the tools to provide broad advice as well as deliver service in an efficient manner. At the same time, for some advisors some of their existing clients represent an untapped opportunity – and oftentimes a hurdle - for an advisor to build the business,” said Kevin Bishopp, director, practice management, at Russell. “With LifePoints CONNECT, advisors can work with their emerging clients more effectively; while managing their overall book of business more efficiently.”

LifePoints CONNECT is initially available to selected Russell advisor clients, including some 130 financial advisors with Raymond James Financial Institutions Division. It is a web-based tool that automates the client and investment management process from planning through to implementation and reporting, and facilitates regular interaction between the advisor and the client.

Specifically, with LifePoints CONNECT, advisors can:

• Engage clients and prospects efficiently and easily with personalized communications.
• Streamline the client assessment and investment recommendation process with integrated profiling and proposal tools.
• Implement a robust solution to diversify and manage clients’ assets, including an investment plan and turnkey access to Russell’s LifePoints Funds, Target Portfolio Series, providing globally diversified, asset-allocated portfolio solutions.
• Deliver scalable, ongoing service that can be delivered according to a client’s needs, including a combination of fund information, quarterly reviews and investor newsletters, and additional information such as investor events that clients can participate in to help them stay engaged.
• Manage clients through the LifePoints CONNECT dashboard, where the advisor can see clients at-a-glance and review the status of clients for each stage of the LifePoints CONNECT process.

One of the first advisors to access the new platform was Jon Jacobson, a Raymond James financial advisor in Osceola, Wisconsin, who said, “The thought and research behind LifePoints CONNECT is spot on in terms of where I am in my business. I need to connect with more clients at all levels more so now than ever, and this platform provides me with the ability to focus on particular clients while still serving other clients with some cutting-edge interaction that serves them very well too. It’s not about making choices between clients, now I feel I can grow my business from top to bottom.”

Bishopp added that for nearly 30 years Russell has been working with advisors to help them grow their businesses and develop deeper relationships. “Time and again, the key challenge advisors face is that, as the business grows, the number of clients grows, and so the demand for client service increases and the ability to develop client relationships and prospect for new business becomes significantly more difficult,” he said. “LifePoints CONNECT turns this paradigm on its head, and revolutionizes the way that advisors can manage their client base. More clients will receive the planning, investment solutions and ongoing support they require to progress on the path toward their investing goals in a highly efficient manner (a win-win for client and advisor), whilst the advisor will be able to provide the required attention to larger clients and the ongoing growth of the advisory practice.”

About Russell Investments

Founded in 1936, Russell Investments is a global financial services firm that serves institutional investors, financial advisers and individuals in more than 40 countries. Over the course of its history, Russell’s innovations have come to define many of the practices that are standard in the investment world today, and have earned the company a reputation for excellence and leadership. The firm has about $162 billion in assets under management (as of 3/31/11).

For more information about how Russell helps to improve financial security for people, visit us at www.russell.com.

Fund objectives, risks, charges and expenses should be carefully considered before investing. A prospectus containing this and other important information can be obtained by calling (800) 787-7354 or visiting www.russell.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Mutual Fund investing involves risks, principal loss is possible.

Russell Investments is the owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to its indexes.

Jon Jacobson offers securities through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. is not affiliated with Russell Investment Group.

The experience of Mr. Jacobson may not be representative of the experience of other clients and is not a guarantee of future performance or success. Mr. Jacobson may receive a commission for selling Russell mutual funds.

Securities products and services offered through Russell Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA, part of Russell Investments.

Russell Investment Group, a Washington, USA corporation, operates through subsidiaries worldwide including Russell Investments. Russell Investment Group is a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.

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Russell InvestmentsSteve Claiborne, 206-505-1858
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orKerstin Osterberg, 718-875-2121
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or
www.russell.com

Source: Russell Investments