John Hancock Financial Network Introduces Comprehensive Program to Support Financial Advisors in Retirement Plan Market

BOSTON, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Financial Network (JHFN) today launched a new defined contribution consulting program to help JHFN financial advisors of all experience levels expand their retirement plan business and provide the best service to their clients. Elements of the program include training, practice management consulting, a dedicated retirement sales support team and in-depth expert resources for those interested in becoming plan fiduciaries.

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"We want to become one of the premier destinations for retirement plan focused advisors," said Bruce Harrington, head of retirement sales and strategy for JHFN. "There is tremendous opportunity for growth in this market and the combination of resources in this new program will help position JHFN's financial advisors for success, whether they choose to specialize or just offer retirement plans as a portion of their practice."

ERISA Fiduciary Program - for qualified financial advisors, JHFN, through its investment advisory subsidiary, Signator Investors, Inc., will provide a specialist program with tools and resources for experienced advisors to act as retirement plan co-fiduciaries, thereby leveraging their expertise and growing their business.  

Training - JHFN will offer retirement plan training targeted to financial advisors depending on their level of experience. For experienced financial advisors looking to move up in the market, the program will offer "401(k) Masters" meetings. For advisors who are active in the retirement market but not looking to focus exclusively, JHFN will host a Retirement Plan Symposium and regional 401(k) Boot Camps. Online courses will be made available to all advisors.

Practice management consulting – For financial advisors in its ERISA fiduciary program, JHFN has contracted with Retirement Plan Advisory Group (RPAG), a top-tier consulting firm, to provide a suite of retirement plan-focused practice management tools including proposal support, fund selection tools, a marketing library, sales ideas, and informational webcasts.

Dedicated sales support team - to support financial advisors in the retirement plan marketplace, a team of high-end 401(k) and sales professionals will be available to support the wide variety of plans sold through JHFN. This team will provide advisors with prospecting ideas, case consultation, and information on industry best practices.

"Our new defined contribution consulting program is a great example of how JHFN strives to serve its clients by providing the best tools and resources to its financial advisors," said Chris Maryanopolis, president of Signator Investors, Inc., the broker/dealer of John Hancock Financial Network. "Our experts carefully developed this program to assist JHFN's diverse group of financial advisors so that they can continue to service the retirement plan market and help clients select retirement plan options that fit their needs."

About John Hancock Financial Network

John Hancock Financial Network is a national network of independent firms with approximately 1,900 financial professionals across the U.S. A leader with the stability and scale to offer an innovative business model, John Hancock Financial Network gives entrepreneurial financial professionals the power to effectively build unique businesses, based on their own vision and market opportunity. For more information on John Hancock Financial Network and its national network of independent firms, visit https://www.johnhancockfinancialnetwork.com.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. For more than 120 years, clients have looked to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$478 billion (US$492 billion) as at March 31, 2011. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.

Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Signator Investors, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, a Registered Investment Advisor, 197 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116.

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SOURCE John Hancock Financial Network