Thoughts

Learning About Recordkeepers Online

Posted by Anu Heda on Nov 02, 2011, in Thoughts , tagged with , , , , ,

In the previous post, we examined the experience of searching for a recordkeeper. In this post, we’ll consider another common experience – the referral. Many people will look for a referral from anyone they deem qualified to provide a starting point.  With a referral mindset, I asked a few DCIO wholesalers to recommend recordkeepers for small and new plans.  I heard three firms repeatedly (and reasons why):

  1. Ascensus – Low-cost, open architecture
  2. Principal – Big, hands-on, and helpful sales force
  3. John Hancock – Good, easy-to-use technology

From reviewing the firms’ Web sites, online marketing has not been a major focus to-date.  None of the top firms’ sites provides a comprehensive pre-sale experience.

 … [read more]

Searching for a Recordkeeper

Posted by Anu Heda on Nov 02, 2011, in Thoughts , tagged with , , , ,

The 401(k) market is massive. There’s nearly $3 trillion dollars in 401(k) plans. For white-collar America, it’s simply part of the on-boarding process at a new job. And those recordkeepers that sell primarily small plans, I think there’s an opportunity to increase sales from optimizing parts of the Web site.  By “optimizing,” I mean improving sales leads in two ways:

  1. Through search engine results
  2. By providing quick visibility into recordkeepers’ value proposition

 … [read more]

A Picture is Worth 978 Words

Posted by Mike McLaughlin on Oct 14, 2011, in Thoughts , tagged with , ,

Two weeks ago we did a presentation for a client on infographics – what they are, how they can be used, the process for creating them, and some strong examples from asset management. With that discussion fresh in my mind, I read Richard Thaler’s article from last Saturday’s New York Times.

Thaler, whose work I really admire, writes about how the government, companies, and individuals are paralyzed by the current financial climate and holding off on investments they should make now. In other words, those that control the purse strings have become proverbial deer-in-the-headlights.

It’s a solid argument, and Thaler takes 978 words to make it. As I finished the article, I immediately thought of an interactive infographic from John Hancock Funds’ Web site.

This shows the beauty of even a simple infographic. Though Hancock’s message differs from Thaler’s – the focus is on people’s willingness to invest in securities based on recent market performance – they tell a similar story with a visual and 10% of the word count.

The natural communication approach for most asset managers involves charts and tables surrounded by paragraphs of text. This example shows that better options are out there.

Vanguard Making Use of Old Content

Posted by Mike McLaughlin on Oct 12, 2011, in Thoughts , tagged with , , ,

This is outstanding:

Vanguard references an article it first published in 2009.

The reason? Vanguard re-used a solid piece of content it initially produced almost two years ago.

In the constant battle to create more and more new content, firms too often forget that they’ve produced tons of great material in the past. Most of it is buried, never to see the light of day. Often this is because firms simply don’t have good organizational memory on what they’ve previously created.

But there is definitely ongoing value in certain less-than-new pieces. It’s good for clients and easy for the firm. Nice job here by Vanguard.