Lincoln Financial Adds Personalized Retirement Service With Advisor Managed Accounts

Rhea-AI Summary

Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) has launched an Advisor Managed Accounts service, which enables registered investment advisors to create tailored investment portfolios for retirement plans. This service leverages data on participants, such as age and plan balance, to optimize investment allocations. Research indicates that over 70% of participants with low savings rates improved their savings after implementing managed accounts. This initiative aims to meet the growing demand from plan sponsors for personalized retirement solutions.

Positive

• Launch of Advisor Managed Accounts service enhancing personalized retirement solutions.
• Data suggests 70% of underperforming participants increased savings, indicating potential benefits of the service.
• Service positions Lincoln Financial favorably in the growing managed account market.

Negative

• None.

Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) today announced it has added an Advisor Managed Accounts service, which gives a retirement plan’s registered investment advisor (RIA) the ability to create the underlying plan-specific investment portfolios and leverage the proprietary portfolio assignment process from Morningstar Investment Management LLC. These personalized investment programs, offered through the Lincoln Alliance^® program, enable the RIA to use information about each plan participant – such as age and plan balance – to create the portfolios used by the program.

“The Advisor Managed Accounts service complements and builds on our suite of custom asset allocation products, such as YourPath®,” said Ralph Ferraro, Senior Vice President, Retirement Plan Products and Solutions, Lincoln Financial Group. “All participants are different, and financial professionals and plan sponsors are looking for innovative products they can further personalize to help their participants reach their individual retirement goals.”

Currently, more than half of plan sponsors include a managed account option in their plans¹, and this number is likely to increase, as research shows that these services have the potential to help participants save more for retirement². Morningstar Investment Management found that, even after accounting for age and income, more than 70% of off-track participants (participants with a less than 70% chance of achieving retirement income goal) studied increased their savings rates after using managed accounts².

To implement Advisor Managed Accounts, the RIA leverages their investment expertise to create plan-level portfolios, while Morningstar Investment Management provides the technology platform that then matches each participant with their unique asset allocation, and acts as fiduciary for the participant portfolio assignment process. Advisor Managed Accounts can be offered as the Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA), with the plan sponsor designating it as the QDIA for all participants, or it can be offered as opt-in only, so each participant can actively choose the service.

“By launching Advisor Managed Accounts, we continue our commitment to building and launching innovative solutions,” said Ferraro. “Like with our new in-plan guaranteed income products, we are focused on helping to meet the evolving needs of our partners and plan sponsors, while helping our participants save for and achieve the retirement they envision.”

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help people take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, and guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $281 billion in end-of-period account values as of September 30, 2020. Lincoln Financial Group is a committed corporate citizen included on major sustainability indices including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and FTSE4Good. Dedicated to diversity and inclusion, we earned perfect 100 percent scores on the Corporate Equality Index and the Disability Equality Index, and rank among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers, Best Large Employers, Best Employers for Diversity, and Best Employers for Women, and Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies. Learn more at: LincolnFinancial.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Sign up for email alerts at http://newsroom.lfg.com.

¹ Cerulli Associates. U.S. Defined Contribution Distribution 2019: Opportunities for differentiation in a competitive landscape, 2019

² Blanchett, David, Dan Bruns, and Nathan Voris. “The Impact of the Default Investment Decision on Participant Deferral Rates: Managed Accounts vs. Target-Date Funds,” Morningstar®, October 17, 2016

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FAQ

What is the new service launched by Lincoln Financial Group (LNC)?

Lincoln Financial Group launched the Advisor Managed Accounts service for personalized retirement plan investment management.

How does the Advisor Managed Accounts service work?

Registered investment advisors create customized portfolios based on participant demographics like age and plan balance.

What percentage of participants improved their savings rates after using managed accounts?

Research found that over 70% of off-track participants increased their savings rates after using managed accounts.

What are the benefits of Advisor Managed Accounts for plan sponsors?

This service allows plan sponsors to offer personalized investment options, helping participants meet retirement goals more effectively.

Is Advisor Managed Accounts available as a Qualified Default Investment Alternative?

Yes, Advisor Managed Accounts can be designated as the Qualified Default Investment Alternative by plan sponsors.