Survey Finds Bank Representatives View the Retirement Income Market as Key to Future Success

Bellevue, Wash. — March 12, 2007: A new survey from the Bank Insurance & Securities Association (BISA) and Symetra Financial finds that bank representatives are well positioned to meet the retirement income needs of middle market investors. The survey was conducted by DSG Network and is designed to assess bank representatives' preparedness for helping clients convert their savings into dependable income during retirement.

Overall, the survey indicated that banks are poised to serve a broader-based retirement income market, as opposed to catering mostly to high net-worth investors. With the increasing number of Baby Boomers entering retirement, demand for products and solutions that help retirees of all income levels achieve financial security is likely to grow considerably.

Some of the survey's key findings include:

• 74 percent of respondents indicated that retirement income products and solutions are "highly important" to their ongoing financial planning activities.
  The survey also found that bank representatives' comfort level with products and investment options are a key factor driving their propensity to shift from an asset accumulation to an asset distribution approach to advising clients. These findings reveal that the retirement income market is gaining significance within the bank channel.
• Most bank representatives are focusing on clients with $250,000 to $500,000 in investable assets.
  Seventy-nine percent of respondents indicated they were targeting clients in this range, and nearly half (47 percent) said they were inclined to work with clients holding $50,000 to $250,000 in investable assets. Taken together, these middle market and mass affluent investor segments represent the most significant potential client pool in the retirement income market.
• Bank representatives are in need of better retirement income support tools and resources.
  Fewer than one in ten (7 percent) respondents indicated they were "very satisfied" with the level of sales tools available to them. In addition, 90 percent of bank representatives said they do not have dedicated retirement income support resources available at their institution. For the 10 percent of respondents who do have in-house support, fully 79 percent make use of this resource. Key to banks success in providing retirement income will be not only the right product mix, but also improved training and support to meet the needs of a more diverse client group.

These findings reveal a significant opportunity for banks and other financial service companies to work together to create the products, training and support needed to ensure a successful retirement for bank clients.

"The mindset among retirees is changing. It is no longer just about accumulating savings, but also about how to covert those savings into dependable retirement income to live off of," said Rod Halvorson, senior vice president of financial institutions at Symetra Financial. "This survey shows that banks are in prime position to help a wider array of clients prepare for the next phase in retirement planning."

The survey was conducted by the DSG Network, which performed 958 online interviews among representatives of BISA member companies during November and December 2006. BISA membership is composed of a wide range of banks from large and super-regional banks to smaller community banks and credit unions.

MORE INFORMATION AND ORDER FORM

ŠThe Diversified Services Group, Inc., All rights reserved