Ascensus Aligns with Academy Benefit Partners to Broaden 401(k) Distribution in Medical Field

June 23, 2010 - PRLog -- Ascensus has partnered with ENT Resources, Inc. (ENTRI), the for-profit subsidiary of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), which is a national medical society with more than 10,000 U.S. board certified ENT surgeon members, to deliver retirement plan solutions to the healthcare industry.  ENTRI, a specialized provider of multiple employer and custom 401(k) plans, markets their products under the Academy Benefit Partners (ABP) brand.  The Ascensus and ABP joint offering will be sold by registered investment advisors (RIAs) with expertise in bringing high-touch service to the defined contribution plan marketplace.

This strategic alliance will leverage Ascensus and ABP’s complementary strengths, further building both brands within the medical community.  Ascensus offers a comprehensive, full-service retirement program with a flexible, open architecture investment platform and full-fee transparency. Other advantages include Ascensus’ streamlined approach to plan management, which uses robust web tools to simplify plan sponsor responsibilities and a comprehensive employee education program. In turn, ABP delivers a powerful multiple-employer approach with experience leveraging the combined scale and scope of participating employers to deliver unique features and benefits previously only available to larger institutions.

“The ABP brand and marketing support program will provide RIAs with a competitive edge in the healthcare industry,” said Mike Narkoff, Senior Vice President, Sales at Ascensus.  “We welcome the opportunities this partnership presents and are excited to provide ENTRI with a superior retirement program tailored to their unique needs.”

“Because ENTRI is owned by a national medical society, our interests, values, and goals are directly aligned with providing great products and services for the healthcare community. For this very reason, ABP selected Ascensus to deliver a retirement plan to our members and the greater medical professionals’ market. With a shared commitment to delivering only high-quality solutions, ABP and Ascensus are uniquely equipped to solve for the specific challenges and opportunities of working within this sector,” said Dr. David R. Nielsen, MD, Executive Vice President and CEO of AAO-HNS.

About Ascensus
With more than 30 years of industry experience, Ascensus provides high-quality solutions for every segment of the retirement marketplace. Ascensus is a division of Crump Group, Inc., (CGI). CGI is a leading provider of retirement services as well as the largest and most diversified wholesale insurance distributor in the United States. As the nation’s largest independent recordkeeper and administrator for retirement plans in the micro to large market segments and a leading provider of regulatory expertise, plan document services and participant enrollment support, Ascensus services over 27,000 defined contribution plans. The company’s core capabilities encompass every component of a sophisticated retirement infrastructure, including administration, recordkeeping, ERISA consulting, compliance and sales support, trust and custody services, multilingual participant education programs, training and documentation. These solutions are offered with the open architecture investment capabilities that can be tailored to support the needs of institutional retirement plan providers, third party administrators, financial advisors and their clients. For more information, visit www.ascensus.com.

About ENT Resources, Inc.
ENT Resources, Inc. (ENTRI), the for-profit subsidiary of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) is the company that brings you Academy Benefit Partners products and services. ENTRI is a separate corporate entity with its own management and business objectives.  http://www.academybenefitpartners.com/

About The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS)
The AAO-HNS is the world's largest organization representing specialists who treat the ear, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. The Academy represents more than 12,000 otolaryngologists—head and neck surgeons worldwide who diagnose and treat disorders of those areas. www.entnet.org