Adviser Services Statement of Adviser Qualifications and Services

Transcription

1 Retirement Plan Adviser Services Statement of Adviser Qualifications and Services Prepared by: Chris S. Eilers, President Palmetto Frontage Rd. Ste 12 Miami Lakes, FL FOR PLAN SPONSOR USE ONLY. NOT FOR USE WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC. Offering John Hancock Insurance Products. Registered Representative/Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Signator Investors, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC. A Registered Investment Advisor Westshore Blvd Suite 1100 Tampa, FL Fax #

2 Aspire Financial Partners Value Proposition to Plan Sponsors Our focus for the last 5 years at Aspire Financial Partners has been working with plan sponsors like you to enhance their plan design and help their employees achieve their financial goals. We are part of a team of professionals from a variety of defined contribution and defined benefit disciplines that will help your professionals improve their retirement readiness. We provide retirement planning services that help plan sponsors manage fiduciary liability and educate their participants to increase plan participation and deferral rates. We work with an experienced team and focus on clients who want the strength of a reputable firm, but seek individualized advice and service. The retirement plan environment has changed. We believe that: (k) plans are a valuable employee benefit that should be optimized for sponsors and participants. 2. They are complex and come with a great deal of fiduciary liability. Plan sponsors/employers are faced with a great deal of fiduciary responsibility. 3. Because of these complexities, successful wealth management requires a close working relationship between the clients and his/her financial adviser. Most of our clients are plan sponsors who represent small and mid-sized companies. We work with our clients together to determine the appropriate 401(k) plan design for their company and to educate participants on the importance of saving for retirement and to help prepare plan sponsors for their role as fiduciary. We follow a four step process with each plan sponsor: 1. Listen closely to understand their needs. 2. Create and propose solutions that address your specific plans or goals. 3. Together we select and implement appropriate solutions. 4. Meet regularly to review our progress and make adjustments accordingly. Ultimately, the value that we deliver to our client is trust, experience, and an understanding of their specific needs. Our goal is to help our clients provide competitive retirement benefits that attract and retain employees at a reasonable cost so they can focus on running their business. FOR PLAN SPONSOR USE ONLY. NOT FOR USE WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC. Offering John Hancock Insurance Products. Registered Representative/Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Signator Investors, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC. A Registered Investment Advisor Westshore Blvd Suite 1100 Tampa, FL Fax #

3 I work with retirement plans, helping them implement proven practices, and creating effective employee communications and savings programs. I like to open up the hood and work on a plan's design to align it with industry best practices. What makes it all work in the long run is heading up a rigorous communications framework with the plan sponsors and plan participants. I see myself as an advocate for my plan sponsors company and communicate the retirement plan as a true employee benefit. Chris Eilers President Why I get up in the morning: Growth. I like to be able to look back and see that I've made a difference. In the percentage of employees participating in their employer sponsored plan and their savings rate, and their attitudes towards their plan. I like to assist the participants and help them prepare and achieve retirement readiness. If I thought this was just a maintenance business, I'd be doing something else. Plans I work best with: I focus on plan sponsors and hope they have a collegial work culture, because I've discovered that's what brings out my best work. I do both defined contribution and defined benefit plans, and I like working with multi-cultural employee groups. It keeps me sharp and fresh. How I got here: I started as a stock broker with a small regional firm. Three years in, I realized I wanted to work for a larger firm so I moved to John Hancock Financial Network to work directly with individuals offering a holistic planning approach to families, individuals and business owners. In 2007, I decided to start working with my business owner clients and contacts to start offering retirement plan services. Currently, my office services over 100 plans and assists over 5,000 participants to achieve retirement readiness What s Popular Right Now: Risk management, fee reviews, liability-driven investing (LDI), alternative investments, participant guidance/retirement planning, plan designs (match formulas), fee disclosure, benchmarking, and target date funds. What I tell Plan Sponsors: It s not just fees: services and ideas drive results. Your employee participants need help, so give it to them. Hire an adviser that will support them. Participant outcomes are how I recommend you judge your overall plan. Also, keep an eye on plan risk. We make a difference by helping create successful outcomes. What am I really: A husband, a father of two, (Connor is 7 and Morgan is 8), a former Olympian, a fishing enthusiast, mountain biker, a golfer and a Roll Tide Fan. My B.S. degree is from the University of Alabama. Offering John Hancock Insurance Products. Registered Representative/Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Signator Investors, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC. A Registered Investment Advisor Westshore Blvd Suite 1100 Tampa, FL Fax #

4 Chris S. Eilers President Professional Qualifications & Experience Life/ Health License Long Term Care Insurance License Series 7 Securities License Series 63 Securities License Series 65 Securities License P: (954) F: (954) chris@aspire-fp.com Skip Ames Director of Operations Skip joined JHFN in 2010 and is our in house Director of Operations. He has been in the investment business since 2000 and also has his Life/Health license. Skip handles most internal calls and existing client service. Chris, Bryan, Stephanie and Skip work as a well rounded team to help meet the financial objectives of their clients. Skip has a Finance degree from the University of Alabama where he and Chris played baseball for the Crimson Tide and was drafted to play professionally by the Chicago Cubs in the 3 rd round in P: (305) F: (954) skip@aspire-fp.com Bryan Alfonso Financial Representative Bryan came on board in August of 2010 as a Financial Representative as well as our in-house translator. Shortly thereafter he became a Registered Representative in the state of FL. Bryan has taken on a role of partnering with Chris Eilers in servicing his existing book of business, building upon the 401k and 457 Deferred Compensation clients across the state of Florida. Bryan is a graduate from Saint Thomas University located in Miami, FL and is fluent in both English and Spanish. P: (786) F: (954) bryan@aspire-fp.com Jose Gautier, MBA Registered Representative Jose is a graduate of the University of Miami, with a BBA and MBA in Finance. Jose has worked in the Investment arena since He enjoys working with his clients to help them understand all aspects of their financial life. Most recently he has begun to focus on the topic of Social Security for the firm's clients. P: (786) F: (954) jose@aspire-fp.com

5 401(k) Solutions A 401(k) plan is one of the most important employee benefits a company can offer. A good plan should be effective and flexible for participants, in order to help them meet their retirement savings objectives, yet simple and efficient for administrators like you. A successful 401(k) plan should not only encourage participation, but should also inspire participants to defer enough of their salary to prepare for a comfortable retirement, and should provide enough options to allow them to ensure their assets are appropriately diversified for their time horizons and retirement goals. At Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network, we provide comprehensive support to help you select a plan that meets your company's needs. You will receive local, personalized attention and assistance on critical issues like: Plan and Vendor Evaluation Does a vendor's plan include a broad range of investment options? Does it offer auto service features such as auto enrollment, auto increase, or qualified default investment options (some of the provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006) Implementation Is the vendor's installation process smooth and coordinated? Do they offer an effective employee communication and education program? Ongoing Plan Service Does the vendor provide ongoing support to help you administer the plan? Are their services designed to help you attract and retain talented employees? Your employees deserve a 401(k) plan that may help them improve their retirement readiness. Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network offers the ongoing service and support you may need to make the most appropriate provider selection, as you may not have the time or expertise to manage this process alone.

6 Plan and Vendor Evaluation The main objective of Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network is to understand and address the evolving interests of plan sponsors and their employees. Our goal is to help plan sponsors identify and select progressive, smooth-running, cost-effective plans. Any adviser can make this promise, but Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network offers the experience and insight to help achieve it. The groundwork provided by Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network aims for a complete understanding of your needs and level of flexibility. Our approach includes the following stages: Needs Assessment During this initial stage, we will examine a variety of factors, including your company's needs and objectives and the demographics of your employees. We will also review your current plan's features and assess its effectiveness in all areas. For example, is your plan successful at driving participation and increasing deferral rates? Does it offer a sufficient variety of investment options to ensure participants are able to diversify* appropriately? Are there areas you would like to see improved upon, such as technology, reporting, and assistance with fiduciary compliance? Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network will also identify providers whose management fees are competitive and who can offer good value. Vendor Evaluation Once we have gained a thorough understanding of your needs, Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network will: Identify providers that may best match your needs Vendor Candidate Selection Next, Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network will match your Needs Assessment to the results of the Vendor Search. One or more of the vendors will emerge as leading candidates, based on their ability to meet the challenges of your plan requirements. Presentations and Vendor Selection We will invite the leading vendors to deliver on-site presentations. Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network attends those presentations as your advocate to help you ensure the proposals provide effective solutions for your plan's needs. You select the appropriate vendor, and we'll proceed to the implementation phase. *Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against a loss.

7 Implementation Converting an existing plan requires precise coordination and smooth execution. As your advisor team and primary contact, Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network provides advocacy and assistance to you. Our job is to proactively ensure that your needs are communicated to the service provider's representatives and other involved professionals, and that you remain fully informed throughout the implementation process. This process can include: Investment Information Your fiduciary responsibilities include selecting a broad range of investment options for your employees. Investment selection is one of the most important aspects of a plan, and it merits careful consideration and due diligence. As your financial adviser, we will help you: Stay aware of any new offerings from your provider Avoid common mistakes that plan sponsors often make Development of an Education Policy Statement A well-constructed education policy statement may help you meet certain 404(c) requirements, while encouraging participants to enroll in and get the most out of their retirement plan. Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network customizes a strategy that: Seeks to maximize employee participation and increase their contributions, within limits Coordinate / Conduct Enrollment Meetings The success of your plan hinges upon employee participation. Enrollment meetings provide the opportunity to maximize participation. These meeting are designed to educate and raise awareness among employees about the plan and how they can use it to pursue their retirement saving goals. Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network will focus on this effort by coordinating and conducting the enrollment meeting and if appropriate, securing the involvement of your service provider. We think the best employee education materials are: Aimed at improving participation, savings rates and asset allocation Personalized (based on certain information that you may provide) Documentation of Investment Policy Statement As a fiduciary, one of your responsibilities is to create an investment policy statement, which provides guidelines concerning certain investment management decisions. Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network will work closely with you to help you prepare this statement.

8 Ongoing Plan Service Once up and running, a successful retirement plan will reinforce your commitment to your employees and help you attract new talent. After implementation, Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network remains involved, providing a full range of services to support and expand the benefits of the plan for you and your employees with: Enrollment meetings With our help, the enrollment process for your employees may go faster and more smoothly. Annual plan reviews We can help you evaluate your plan's performance and whether it is doing the best possible job helping participants prepare themselves financially for retirement. ongoing participant education Investment policy statement reviews We can help you by providing investment information as you fulfill your fiduciary duties. Monitoring provider and program enhancements We will communicate to you changes that may affect your plan and your employees. Monitoring industry trends We will keep you up-to-date on the latest developments and trends to ensure you are offering the best possible plan for employees. Service, support, and problem resolution We can be a valuable helping hand and source of support and information whenever you need us. In addition to the above services, you can look to Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network to provide support with on-site investment seminars and one-on-one financial planning in the following: College Funding Strategies Individual Disability Income Insurance Investment Advisory Services Individual Life Insurance Group Benefits At Aspire Financial Partners/Member of John Hancock Financial Network we look forward to making your job as your company's 401(k) plan administrator as easy and enjoyable as possible. For plan sponsor use only. Not for use with the general public

9 We make a difference by creating successful outcomes Offering John Hancock Insurance Products. Registered Representative/Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Signator Investors, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC. A Registered Investment Advisor Westshore Blvd Suite 1100 Tampa, FL Fax #