Healthy Living Gets John Hancock Discounts
John Hancock has created a new variety of life insurance that rewards policyholders for healthy living habits. Known as #5MoreNow, the new policies offer policyholders gift cards and rewards for changing their lifestyles and provides discounts of up to 15% on the insurance premiums for the second and subsequent years of the policies.

Americans are on average five years older than their real ages when measured on a health and wellness scale developed by Vitality, which is partnering with John Hancock to provide the new insurance. The Vitality Group works with insurance companies to promote healthful living.

The Vitality score is based on eating, drinking and exercise habits. As the individual makes improvements in lifestyle, he or she can earn rewards immediately in the form of gift cards to major retailers and hotel discounts.

Based on the improvements in the policyholder’s lifestyle, reductions in the life insurance policy premium will be applied when the policy is renewed. The new policies have been approved in 30 states so far.

“Almost everyone feels they can do more to become healthier,” says Michael Doughty, president and general manager of John Hancock Insurance. “This program rewards people for the small steps they take each day to achieve a healthier lifestyle, such as walking a few blocks further, taking the steps instead of the elevator or getting a flu shot.”

Additional information can be found at www.JHRewardsLife.com.


Gerber Kawasaki Unveils My Money Page
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management has launched a mobile planning app called “my Money Page.”
The app offers a direct connection between financial advisors working in a firm and investors using the app who have questions about their financial plan.

The app includes many functions that reflect the needs of everyday investors, including a budgeting tool that compares income to expenses; a net-worth calculator that aggregates bank and investment account information; and a goals tracker that helps users understand and stay on target to meet retirement and savings goals or other goals.

Saturna Capital Launches Two ESG Funds
Bellingham, Wash.-based Saturna Capital Corporation has introduced the Saturna Sustainable Equity Fund and the Saturna Sustainable Bond Fund. The two mutual funds will invest globally in securities of companies rated as low risk in the areas of the environment, social responsibility and governance by the firm. Saturna screens more than 10,000 global securities monthly to exclude issuers engaged in certain business activities, such as alcohol, tobacco, firearms and gambling.

“We believe companies with superior environmental and governance practices exhibit less risk,” says Jane Carten, president of Saturna Capital.

KBW And Nasdaq Partner For Indexes
Nasdaq will begin calculating and disseminating the Keefe Bruyette & Woods (KBW) family of indexes under a new partnership between the companies. Both companies will promote the products and benchmarks to new market participants worldwide.

The KBW products are designed to offer investors specific ways to play or hedge the sector and are used as barometers for the health of the financial sector. The exchange-traded funds based on these indexes provide investors with exposure to the niche-specific sectors within the financial industry, says KBW.

Schwab Introduces New Funds
Charles Schwab Investment Management has unveiled new funds that combine cap-weighted and smart beta strategies within individual funds.
Schwab MarketTrack Portfolios are designed for investors who want the low-cost efficiency of passive indexing, the long-term potential upside of smart beta strategies and the ease of packaged products. The funds combine cap-weighted and fundamental index strategies in one packaged solution, says John Sturiale, senior vice president of investment product management at Charles Schwab Investment Management.

Each portfolio is periodically rebalanced. Each one also differs in the weightings among stocks, bonds and cash and combines fundamental index and market-cap index strategies. There are four different portfolios in all, ranging from all equities to all bonds, and there is a balanced fund and a high-growth/low-volatility fund in between.

Fidelity Helps RIAs Attract Young Clients
Fidelity Clearing and Custody, the division of Fidelity Investments that provides clearing and custody to registered investment advisors, is partnering with FirstPoint Financial LLC, a subsidiary of Mariner Holdings Inc., to help RIAs attract mass affluent investors under the age of 50.

The new program offers a review of an RIA’s client segmentation practices. RIAs, who often are working with older investors and those with $1 million or more in investable assets, then work with FirstPoint Financial to develop segmentation strategies to attract younger, mass affluent investors.