Ameritas Managed Account Programs Expand Offerings for Retirement Planning

While many workers interested in saving for retirement understand the value of planning early, the actual details of retirement plan accounts can prove daunting. When savers aren’t comfortable with choosing investments based on their risk tolerance, financial goals and expected expenses, they may end up making choices that aren’t ideal for their unique situation.

According to Brett Eisberg, director, product manager at Ameritas retirement plans, managed accounts for retirement planning resolve that issue. “While we’ve offered managed accounts for several years, we’re now expanding the options within our EliteAdvantage and EliteUnlimited retirement programs to give financial professionals a wider array of choices, so they can better serve existing clients as well as start the retirement planning conversation with new prospects.”

Nationwide, managed account programs are gaining in popularity as a tool for financial professionals, who are incorporating the programs into their suite of offerings at an accelerated rate. “The financial professionals we work with are experienced and sophisticated,” Brett says. “Now more than ever, they see the value of offering managed accounts for their business and individual clients. We’ve been working hard to expand our offerings to meet their needs.”

In addition, businesses today face another challenge in offering retirement programs to their employees: with so many employees working in remote or hybrid work situations, sometimes across several time zones, it’s far more difficult to assemble the entire employee base for enrollment in retirement programs. In addition, the process to ensure that each employee is matched appropriately with the right retirement program is time intensive.

“Financial professionals used to physically travel to a business location and spend all day enrolling employees, working with them one at a time to ensure that they selected the best plan options for their unique situations,” explains Jay Killgore, regional vice president, retirement plans. “With managed accounts, employees and businesses know that their account managers are putting together a personal strategy for them, regardless of where they’re located.”

Why managed account programs can be a smart choice for retirement planning

Managed accounts bring several advantages to retirement planning. In addition to providing access to professional portfolio management, personalized investment strategies and a disciplined approach to planning, managed accounts allow investors to change their strategy over time as their needs and life circumstances change.

Professional portfolio management: Managed accounts are professionally managed by experienced portfolio managers who stay up-to-date with market trends and make informed investment decisions. This know-how helps investors align their portfolio with their retirement goals.

Personalized investment strategies: Managed accounts are designed to cater to each individual’s unique retirement goals and risk tolerance. They create investment strategies that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements.

Disciplined approach: Managed accounts follow a systematic investment process concentrating on long-term performance and risk management. This disciplined strategy assists investors in staying on track towards achieving their retirement goals.

How does Ameritas meet the need through its managed account programs?

Traditionally, the key factor in retirement planning was the individual saver’s age. If you were 45 years old and had 20 more years of saving ahead of you, there was a set of investment choices recommended for your situation, and that’s what was provided to you as a choice. Now, explains Jay, financial professionals can take a far different approach.

“There’s a complete mix of factors that are now considered when it comes to retirement planning,” Jay says. “Age, of course, but also current investments and savings, current salary, any sort of match from the employer, as well as an individual’s state of residence, current and long-term savings goals, and other dynamic elements that make their situation unique. The participant can feel good knowing that the options were selected for them and their future, and also know that should their life situation change, their retirement plan can change with them.”

To learn more about the specific details of the new EliteAdvantage and EliteUnlimited programs, financial professionals should contact their regional vice presidents. Marketing and training materials will be available for these new offerings and team support for financial professionals interested in bringing these programs to their clients.

Ameritas acts as recordkeeper for the plan and managed accounts options are managed by independent third party investment advisers who are not affiliated with Ameritas or its subsidiaries.