Safeco Life & Investments Introduces Mutual Fund Programs for Teachers
These mutual fund programs are among the first in the nation to give school, government, hospital, church and nonprofit employees the flexibility and freedom to diversify their investments across multiple fund families: Safeco Asset Management, AIM Advisors Inc., American Century® Investments, The Dreyfus Corp., Fidelity Management and Research Co., Franklin Templeton Investments, INVESCO Funds and JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management.
Additionally, the 457 program may give employees access to ShareBuilder — an online, self-directed brokerage account that allows investors to purchase fractional shares of over 3,500 company stocks and more than 70 exchange traded funds (ETFs) on a recurring basis through regular contributions to their retirement accounts. "Today more than ever, teachers, professors, nurses and employees from philanthropic organizations are demanding access to the same kinds of mutual fund investment options as private-sector employees have with their 401(k)s," said Scott Bartholomaus, senior vice president of Retirement Services for Safeco Life. "Safeco's program allows financial advisors to deliver real choices to public and nonprofit employers and their employees — both mutual funds and stocks. With everything from aggressive growth to more conservative bond funds, advisors can help clients build a custom portfolio based on their unique risk tolerances, time horizons and investment goals. Plus, the ability to diversify is key to riding out market volatility."
Safeco Life & Investments' 403(b)(7) and 457 mutual fund programs have no minimum contribution requirements, and allow free and unlimited transfers between funds and fund families. Employees receive a single consolidated statement for all their investments, and can view their account activity online or in print.
For more information, call Safeco Life & Investments at 1 (800) 706-0700, send e-mail to invest@safeco.com or visit www.safeco.com. View an online ShareBuilder demonstration at www.safecoplaza.com/safecoplaza/spotlight/spotlight%5Fsbdemo.asp.
Distribution of these programs is provided by Safeco Investment Services Inc. Safeco Life & Investments represents a team of affiliated insurance and financial services companies, including Safeco Life Insurance Co., Safeco Services Corp., Safeco Asset Management, Safeco Investment Services Inc., and other wholly owned subsidiaries of Safeco Corp., a Fortune 500 company founded in 1923.