ING Financial Partners Builds New Wealth Management Platform to Support Advisory Business

WINDSOR, Conn., Aug. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ING U.S., through its broker-dealer, ING Financial Partners, will be launching a new wealth management platform for financial advisors and the clients they serve.  This web-based platform will offer the integrated capabilities to provide a clear, organized view of a client's complete financial picture.  The new platform will be available in the fourth quarter to the 1,500 investment advisor representatives who are part of the ING Financial Partners network.  In addition to meeting the evolving needs of the financial professional, this effort also supports the firm's growth strategy for its advisory business.

"The new platform consolidates a household's financial information into one place, making it easier for both the client and his or her financial advisor to see the complete picture, as well as analyze budgets, investments and retirement projections," said Christina Hurley, head of product for ING U.S. Retirement Solutions Individual Markets.  "We've been listening to our financial advisors and are responding with the tools and support they need for their business.  We know that their clients need holistic financial planning and this platform can help align their financial plans to their goals."

The platform has two components that help to consolidate, organize and analyze financial information from retirement accounts and various other sources.  The first component offers new online capabilities that both the advisor and the client can use independently or together for planning conversations.  The second component brings enhanced capabilities for managing their business, including the ability to make financial transactions in a single, integrated environment. 

Key benefits and features of the new wealth management platform include the following:

• Ability to fully aggregate various aspects of a client's savings and personal finances, including retirement and credit card accounts, car payments, mortgages, life insurance and disability coverage through a personalized website;
• State-of-the-art trading technology including unified managed account (UMA) and rep-directed turnkey services that include third-party money managers;
• Ability to generate a number of financial planning reports that highlight household budgeting, asset amounts, cash flow and other savings;
• Ability to upload and store documents such as wills, financial statements, tax returns and reports;
• Retirement income analysis that can be adjusted to show outcomes based on changes in savings, age of retirement and number of years in retirement;
• Reminders that can be customized based on key triggers, such as a client turning a certain age or a security attaining a certain price or percentage change; and
• Privacy features that allow a client to determine whether financial advisors have the ability to view transactions on outside accounts, such as credit cards.

"As the need for financial advice continues to grow, tools that help to deepen relationships and accentuate a financial advisor's value will be increasingly important," commented Andre Robinson, head of advisory business development at ING Financial Partners.  "Our new platform will help to increase real-time collaboration with clients.  Clients want a complete view of their financial picture at their fingertips, while advisors want tools that help them assess their clients' financial situation and take action."

This new wealth management platform supports ING U.S.'s guiding principle, which aims to advance America's retirement readiness.  The company's goal is to deliver holistic education, advice and financial solutions to help individuals reach both the emotional and economic state to feel secure about their retirement.  As an industry leader and advocate for greater retirement readiness, ING U.S. is committed to the mission of making a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time. 

As a leading provider of financial products and services dedicated to a client-centered philosophy, ING Financial Partners, part of the ING U.S. family of companies, offers a comprehensive array of financial services and products, including life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, advisory programs, alternative investments, institutional investment management, annuities, financial planning and more.  For more information on ING Financial Partners, visit http://ingfp.com.

Securities and investment advisory services offered through ING Financial Partners, member SIPC.

About ING U.S.
ING U.S. (NYSE: VOYA), which plans to rebrand in the future as Voya Financial, is a premier retirement, investment and insurance company serving the financial needs of approximately 13 million individual and institutional customers in the United States. The company's vision is to be America's Retirement Company and its guiding principle is centered on solving the most daunting financial challenge facing Americans today — retirement readiness.  Working directly with clients and through a broad group of financial intermediaries, independent producers, affiliated advisors and dedicated sales specialists, ING U.S. provides a comprehensive portfolio of asset accumulation, asset protection and asset distribution products and services.  With a dedicated workforce of approximately 7,000 employees, ING U.S. is grounded in a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family and one institution at a time.  For more information, visit http://ing.us.

SOURCE ING U.S.