Fidelity Adds Business-Building Services For Advisors

Fidelity Investments Institutional Brokerage Group has launched the PracticeAdvantage Web portal, a business-building resource for registered investment advisors and broker-dealers.

The new Web site provides links to industry news and events, special offers within the program, and PracticeMark, Fidelity‚s integrated online marketing program. A practice management area for investment professionals also is planned.

Advisors also can take advantage of the new alliances PracticeAdvantage has added. They include:

• Adviser Compliance Associates: Offers discounted rates exclusively to RIAs for compliance products and services.

• AOL Time Warner: Subscription discounts.

• Bloomberg Press: Discounts on financial books and publications.

• Circles: Preferred rates for concierge and personal assistant services.

• College for Financial Planning: Discounts for educational programs.

• CompuCom: Preferred rates for information technology services and systems integration solutions.

• Corporate Express: Preferred rates for office supplies.

• Crain Communications: Sub-scription discounts for investment management publications.

• GetPress: Discounted rates on public relations and general communications services.

• MarketCounsel: Discounted rates exclusively for RIAs for MarketCounsel‚s ongoing compliance program.

For more information on the PracticeAdvantage Web portal, visit Fidelity Investments Institutional Brokerage Group‚s Web site at www.ibg.fidelity.com.

Solo(k) List

The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 has allowed the creation of 401(k) plans at companies in which the owner or owners are the only employees. To make it easier to find vendors who provide such plans, being dubbed Solo(k) plans, 401khelpcenter.com has compiled a free report of the principal providers.

The report contains all the necessary information to contact and obtain specific information from each provider. Additionally, the report provides an appendix containing Web resources that fully explain how Solo(k) plans work and their advantages. The free report can be obtained at www.401khelpcenter.com/solok_vendors.html.

Schwab Manager Analysis

Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. has introduced the Money Manager Analysis and Proposal System (MMAPS) for independent investment advisors working with Schwab Institutional. The service, developed with CheckFree Investment Services, is designed to help advisors more easily identify and screen money managers and create managed account proposals for their clients. Advisors can access MMAPS through www.schwabinstitutional.com.

MMAPS enables independent investment advisors to view and compare detailed information on more than 1,500 money managers and 5,000 managed account products. The integrated proposal system provides advisors the ability to create client presentations based on specific investor information such as risk tolerance and time horizon, and view model or customized allocations of multiple managers.

For more information on Schwab, visit www.schwabinstitutional.com.

Survivorship Insurance

The Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. recently introduced new and upgraded survivorship products to its universal life and variable universal life portfolios. The universal life portfolio now features Lincoln SULDB, a survivorship product that offers low-cost wealth preservation and death benefit protection. The company also is offering an upgraded survivorship product called Lincoln SULLPR-II, which provides flexible, guaranteed lifetime coverage.

The portfolio also includes variable universal life enhancements. LincolnSVUL-III provides long-term financial planning for those interested in the potential for greater cash accumulation through a variety of investment options.

The Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. is based in Hartford, Conn., and is a subsidiary of Lincoln Financial Group.

Bible-Oriented Funds

The Noah Funds, which invests in accordance with biblical principles, has added five new funds–the Noah Select Equity Portfolio, Select Value Equity and Income Portfolio, Fixed Income Portfolio, Global Precious Metals Portfolio and 4 Kids Portfolio. More information on the company, based in Newtown Square, Pa., is available at www.noahfund.com.