J.P. Morgan's Retirement Link(SM) Selected by M Financial for Retirement Platform

NEW YORK, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- J.P. Morgan Asset Management is pleased to announce that Retirement Link, its comprehensive retirement plan solution for small-to mid-sized companies, has been chosen as a new offering on M Financial Group's retirement plan platform. With Retirement Link, M Financial's Member Firms have access to a retirement plan solution that delivers a high-touch client service model, best-in-class investment ideas, and award-winning thought leadership.

Following J.P. Morgan's recent decision to sell its large-plan recordkeeping business, M Financial, a leading financial services distribution company based in Portland, Ore., conducted additional due diligence to gauge J.P. Morgan's commitment to the retirement plan business. "It is critical that we work with providers that are committed to the small- to mid-market retirement space," said David Watros, M Financial's Vice President of Corporate Benefits.  "Adding Retirement Link to our platform is consistent with our commitment to continually expand and enhance resources and support for our Member Firms."

Retirement Link leverages the depth and breadth of J.P. Morgan Asset Management's retirement capabilities and is a strategically important component in meeting the defined contribution (DC) investment and administration needs of clients and their advisors.  Through Retirement Link, J.P. Morgan provides M Financial's Member Firms with valuable insights about markets, investments, plan design, and participant behavior.    

"Retirement Link clients are supported by a dedicated team that is led by an experienced relationship manager who, along with M Financial's Member Firms, will apply our best thinking to help plan sponsors mitigate fiduciary risks, ease their administrative burdens, and drive better plan and participant retirement outcomes," said Julia Bates, Head of Individual and Business Retirement at J.P. Morgan.

Some key attributes of Retirement Link include:

• Award-winning tools that provide retirement plan clients with assistance in identifying opportunities and the resources to drive greater retirement outcomes.
• Strong, competitive capabilities in the $1 million to $50 million market segment.
• A leading, open architecture recordkeeping platform utilizing FASCore, the nation's fourth-largest recordkeeper, servicing 27,000 plans and 4.8 million participant accounts.
• J.P. Morgan's Audience of One communication philosophy, which addresses each employee in a personal, meaningful way.

About J.P. Morgan Asset Management – Retirement

J.P. Morgan Retirement, part of J.P. Morgan Asset Management, is a leading provider of comprehensive retirement solutions and is dedicated to improving individual retirement outcomes.  The group has defined contribution assets under management of $118 billion, as of March 31, 2014.  In addition, J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services provides bundled recordkeeping services to more than 660 clients and 2 million plan-level participants, representing approximately $175 billion in retirement plan assets, as of March 31, 2014.  

About J.P. Morgan Asset Management

J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under management of $1.6 trillion, is a global leader in investment management. J.P. Morgan Asset Management's clients include institutions, retail investors, and high net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world.  J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity and liquidity.  JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), the parent company of J.P. Morgan Asset Management, is a leading global asset management firm with assets of approximately $2.4 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries.  Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

About M Financial Group

With more than 140 Member Firms in 37 states and the United Kingdom, M Financial Group (www.mfin.com) is one of the nation's leading financial services design and distribution companies.  Since 1978, M Financial's network of independent insurance, investment, and executive benefit firms has served the needs of ultra-affluent individuals, corporate executives, successful entrepreneurs, and Fortune 1000 companies.

SOURCE J.P. Morgan Asset Management