MassMutual Expands Disability Insurance For Highest Earners
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has introduced Radius Executive Select, an individual disability income insurance program focusing on the unique protection needs of the U.S. population's highest income earners.
Executive Select is one of the industry's only individual disability income insurance programs targeted to high-income executives that provides noncancelable, portable coverage with a level premium for the life of the contract.
"Until now, most forms of disability income insurance protection haven't kept pace with the needs of the country's leading income earners," said Melissa Millan, corporate vice president of MassMutual Disability Income and Long Term Care Insurance. "Those who earn over $800,000 annually have personal and professional commitments like few others, and they may think self insuring is the answer in lieu of other more cost-efficient options that were not necessarily available."
The Executive Select program enables executives to cover up to 50% of their pre-disability income at the time the policy is issued (provided they are insured under a group long-term disability plan) to a possible maximum benefit of $50,000 per month. Individuals who do not have group LTD may be eligible for up to 25% replacement.
Policyholders are eligible for benefits if they are totally disabled and unable to perform the main duties of their own occupations due to sickness or injury, and are not working in another occupation and are under a doctor's care. This standard definition of total disability varies due to individual state insurance department requirements.
For cost and details of coverage, please call your MassMutual representative or MassMutual at (800) 272-2216 (press 3).

S&P Securities Evaluations Municipal Data Now On Bloomberg
Standard & Poor‚s is delivering its municipal bond pricing, Municipal Benchmark Yield Curves and Municipal Total Return Index on the Bloomberg Professional service.
This allows Standard & Poor‚s to meet the increased demand on the part of investors and regulators for more timely and comprehensive bond data, using Bloomberg‚s familiar and widely deployed platform. Bloomberg has more than 250,000 worldwide users.
For information contact Katharina Voudouris, (212) 438-4442, or at [email protected].

Securities America Launches Free Business-Building Program
Securities America has created a toolkit of practice management tips and techniques to help advisors in their strategic planning efforts that is designed to help all registered reps increase efficiency, productivity and profitability.
PracticeBuilder tools are a series of informational cards mailed to advisors monthly, with business-building tips and techniques including office management, marketing, human resources and client acquisition.
To participate call (800) 989-8441 or visit securitiesamerica.com and click on the financial professionals link.

The Principal Financial Group Unveils New Universal Life Solution
The Principal Financial Group has launched Principal Universal Life (UL) Protector IISM, boasting increased flexibility to ensure future obligations are met through guaranteed death benefit protection for a business or a personal estate.
Principal UL Protector II offers guaranteed death benefit protection to age 121, premium payment options and a number of riders and provisions. Customers can increase or decrease their coverage amount and the length of guaranteed coverage. If premium payments are skipped or delayed, individuals can choose to pay "catch up" contributions to receive the original guaranteed protection. For more information, call (800) 654-4278.

Vanguard's Newest Fund Offers Broad Exposure To Active Management
Vanguard Diversified Equity Fund is a "fund-of-funds" offering exposure to the U.S. stock market through a carefully maintained mix of eight actively managed domestic stock funds.
The fund provides exposure to virtually all stock market segments and investment styles. Its performance benchmark is the MSCI US Broad Market Index.
The expense ratio of the Diversified Equity Fund is just 0.44%, compared to 1.36% for the average multicap core fund (Source: Lipper Inc.). The minimum initial investment is $3,000; $1,000 for IRAs and UGMA/UTMA accounts.
For more information about The Vanguard Group, please visit www.vanguard.com.
 
Fidelity Investments Launches Small-Cap Fund
Fidelity Investments has launched a new international small-cap equity fund providing an opportunity to capitalize on the growth potential of smaller, less-well-known companies located in non-U.S. markets.
Fidelity International Small Cap Opportunities Fund normally invests at least 80% of assets in securities of companies with market capitalization of $5 billion or less at time of purchase.
It is available directly to investors and through advisors at banks, insurance companies and broker-dealers.
For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.Fidelity.com.