Nationwide Financial Introduces Simplified Small-Plan 401(k) Product

Nationwide Financial has introduced Nationwide Retirement Innovator Advantage, a new small-plan 401(k) product designed by, and for, retirement plan advisors. The new product is intended to make it easier for retirement plan advisors to sell and service retirement plans by offering a streamlined investment menu and a built-in 3(21) fiduciary service from Morningstar Associates at no additional cost to the plan sponsor.

“We spend a lot of time listening to firms and their advisors, and many articulated a need for a simpler product with a streamlined process,” says Joe Frustaglio, the firm’s vice president of private-sector retirement plan sales. “As a U.S. company, we clearly see and understand the looming retirement crisis Americans face. By delivering customizable and simplified products that help advisors address these complex retirement challenges for participants, we will continue to deliver on our mission of helping America prepare for and live in retirement.”

Some of the key features of Nationwide Retirement Innovator Advantage include:

Integrated Morningstar 3(21) Fiduciary Service that provides menu design, investment recommendations and ongoing monitoring at no additional charge to the plan sponsor. The fiduciary service mitigates the burden for advisors, backed by the expertise of Morningstar Associates. Morningstar’s wholly owned subsidiaries and registered investment advisors advise and manage on approximately $20 billion in assets across more than 7,500 plans.

Diverse investment options with more than 400 mutual funds that include target-date funds, lifestyle funds and a variety of fixed investment choices. Fixed investment options include both the Nationwide Bank FDIC Insured Deposit Account and the Nationwide Fixed Select Contract, which offer competitive quarterly interest rates.

Personalized investment options ranging from “do-it-for-me” solutions to more customized approaches. Innovator Advantage offers, a self-directed brokerage account, fund window and managed accounts from multiple providers.

Comprehensive plan support for advisors, including end-to-end sales support, plan reporting, participant education and an ERISA/regulatory online resource.

Nationwide Financial has simplified its retirement plan product menu by offering two distinct products, Nationwide Retirement Flexible Advantage for advisors looking for flexibility and control, and Nationwide Retirement Innovator Advantage for advisors looking for ease and simplicity.

Flexible Advantage, the other half of Nationwide’s simplified retirement plan product menu, quickly became Nationwide’s fastest selling retirement plan, with more than $3 billion in sales since its launch in 2011. Flexible Advantage provides advisors with flexibility and control in plan design through its selection of investment and product options. It also includes Investment Solutions Builder, a web-based investment tool for Registered Investment Advisors to build and manage core fund lineups, and create and maintain plan-level asset allocation models.

Nationwide offers additional fiduciary support for both Flexible Advantage and Innovator Advantage through its Nationwide Financial Fiduciary Series, Fiduciary Warranty and a 3(38) Investment Fiduciary service from IRON Financial.

Advisors interested in learning more about Innovator Advantage should call 1-800-626-3112. Plan sponsors interested in more information should call 1-888-262-401k.

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