John Hancock Introduces Participant Savings Initiatives

September 6, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - John Hancock Retirement Plan Services has announced new tools designed to help 401(k) participants develop detailed retirement savings objectives and a post-enrollment education program to help participants with retirement planning.

As part of the Set a Goal campaign, participants receive an Annual Review kit along with their first quarter plan statements, the announcement said. The kit includes a questionnaire that walks participants through the process of setting a retirement goal.

Participants return the questionnaire to John Hancock and receive a one-page, personalized action plan built around their retirement goals. Participants also have the option of completing the survey online and receiving their action plan immediately.

The Set a Goal campaign also provides an online “increasing contributions” calculator, which allows participants to choose a contribution amount and automatically see how much their account would be worth after five years.

In addition, a Web site launched for financial representatives provides PDFs of the Set a Goal marketing materials allowing financial representatives to identify contracts where participants are either less engaged or highly-engaged.

The EZRoute post-enrollment education initiative is comprised of four modules, focusing on different sets of participant needs. The modules contain seminars and workbooks that teach essential skills related to effective retirement planning.

One component of the EZRoute program, Be Prepared for Emergencies, allows participants to record all their important financial information in one place to help with emergency preparedness. The summary not only helps participants in the event of an emergency but also helps financial representatives better understand their clients’ needs, John Hancock said.

For more information, visit   http://www.johnhancock.com/retirement-plan-services.html .

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