Fidelity Provides Insights and Resources to Help Advisors
Strengthen Client Satisfaction and Drive Business and Revenue Growth

BOSTON, March 24, 2008 -- Fidelity Investments^® today introduced a new report that reveals that by making a conscious and targeted effort to strengthen relationships with existing 401(k) plan sponsor clients, financial advisors can potentially grow their 401(k) practices and increase revenue over time -- by an estimated 40 percent after 10 yearsⁱ versus advisors who don't.

Fidelity also found that while some advisors think they may lose client relationships because of fees, investment choice or the lack of relationships with company executives, plan sponsors are actually more focused on the level of their advisor's support and knowledge. Plan sponsors cite services, including employee communications, group investment meetings, proactive check-ins and industry updates, as important but areas where they are less than satisfied with their advisor's help.ⁱⁱ

Fidelity's report, Growing a 401(k) Practice From the Inside Out, demonstrates how improving satisfaction among plan sponsor clients can lead to longer plan retention, more referrals and greater opportunities to build relationships with plan participants. In fact, sponsors who are very satisfied with their advisors expect their relationships to last over 11 years, which is more than three years longer than those who are satisfied.ⁱⁱⁱ

"Advisors rate competition from other advisors as the greatest challenge to their 401(k) practices' profitability, so it's no wonder they are working hard to attract new clients," said Tom Corra, senior vice president of Retirement Product & Services for Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company. "However, in such a competitive market, advisors' relationships with plan sponsor clients are more important than ever. We believe that advisors who can strike a better balance between servicing their plan sponsor clients and prospecting for new business, and can build a more efficient model for delivering what plan sponsors want, will be better positioned to drive profitable growth."

The Fidelity report provides insights for advisors to help them better understand the attitudes and behaviors of advisor-sold 401(k) plan sponsors. The report also offers a three-step action plan designed to help advisors increase plan performance, enhance client satisfaction and, ultimately, grow their 401(k) practices. Advisors can get a copy of the full report at https://advisor.fidelity.com.

Fidelity's Three-Step Plan to Help Improve Sponsor Satisfaction

Fidelity developed three practice management strategies designed to help advisors increase plan sponsor satisfaction. The company believes that in order to strengthen 401(k) relationships, advisors should:

	1.	Focus on Plan Performance -- Fidelity's research reveals that there is a strong correlation between satisfaction with the advisor and satisfaction with the plan's performance. When working with plan sponsors, advisors should focus on plan features and education that can improve the key drivers of participant retirement readiness and 401(k) plan performance: employee participation, healthy deferral rates and appropriate asset allocation.
	2.	Optimize Client Relations -- Plan sponsors cite several areas where their needs are not being met, including advisors not being proactive with respect to communications and providing them with industry updates. To help address plan sponsors' needs in these areas, advisors should consider developing a proactive communications strategy to help develop 401(k) and retirement knowledge with plan sponsors, as well as help them understand their fiduciary duties.
	3.	Formalize Their Business Strategy -- Advisors who deliver plan sponsor satisfaction efficiently will have an advantage in the competitive marketplace. Advisors can gain efficiency by defining and communicating their value proposition, developing a referral and reference database, leveraging plan providers' efficiencies, and adding retirement income planning services.

Fidelity Delivers Resources to Help Advisors Enhance Service

Fidelity offers advisors a comprehensive range of resources to help them strengthen the services they provide to plan sponsors through their Fidelity Advisor 401(k) program. Some of the resources available include:

•		Plan Sponsor Survey on Advisor Services and Scoring Assessment -- A new survey that advisors can deliver to their plan sponsor clients to help them measure current levels of sponsor satisfaction and determine what is most important to their client. Fidelity also provides an assessment tool to help advisors interpret their plan sponsor survey results and help them understand where they should focus their efforts to help strengthen their sponsor relationships.
•		Retirement Plan Review (RPR) -- Helps advisors work with plan sponsors to benchmark the components of plan performance, measure whether the plan is meeting its objectives and help create an action plan for future success.
•		Retirement Education Consultants -- A team of skilled professionals who can provide onsite education meetings or online workshops to help employees learn more about their plan and motivate them to participate and increase their deferrals, thereby driving plan performance.

"Today's advisor 401(k) market offers tremendous opportunity for advisors, as companies shift from defined benefit plans and employees shoulder the burden to finance a retirement that likely will be longer," said Corra. "Advisors who win most will have not only the knowledge, talent and stamina to deliver client satisfaction, but also a clear game plan for getting there. We're confident that this report will provide advisors with insights to help them retain and grow their 401(k) business."

About Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company

Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company provides investment management services through investment professionals at financial institutions nationwide, including wirehouses, regional and independent broker/dealers, banks, trust companies and insurance companies. The company offers Fidelity Advisor Funds^®, Variable Insurance Product (VIP) Portfolios, systematic investment plans, institutional money market funds and a comprehensive line of retirement products and services, including the Fidelity Advisor 401(k). Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company's total assets under management were $298.5 billion as of February 29, 2008. For more information, advisors may visit https://advisor.fidelity.com.

About Fidelity Investments

Fidelity Investments is one of the world's largest providers of financial services, with custodied assets of $3.3 trillion, including managed assets of more than $1.5 trillion as of February 29, 2008. Fidelity offers investment management, retirement planning, brokerage, and human resources and benefits outsourcing services to 24 million individuals and institutions as well as through 5,500 financial intermediary firms. The firm is the largest mutual fund company in the United States, the No. 1 provider of workplace retirement savings plans, the largest mutual fund supermarket and a leading online brokerage firm. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com.

ⁱResults based on research and analysis from the following surveys: Fidelity Advisor 2007 Survey of 401(k) Plan Sponsors on Satisfaction with their Advisor, which surveyed 395 plan sponsors who use an advisor to help them with their 401(k) plans; Fidelity Advisor 2007 Survey of Retirement Advisors on Plan Sponsor Satisfaction and Practice Management, which included responses from 415 advisors who sell 401(k) plans. Fidelity Investments analysis based on a model that uses specific assumptions regarding an average hypothetical advisor 401(k) practice, types of investments sold by an advisor, and other assumptions. See information on page 17 of "Growing a 401(k) practice from the inside out" for details on all assumptions used. ⁱⁱFidelity excluded situations where the advisor was retiring or leaving the business. Fidelity Advisor 2007 Survey of 401(k) Plan Sponsors: based on a 7 point satisfaction scale. ⁱⁱⁱResults based on research and analysis from the following surveys: Fidelity Advisor 2007 Survey of 401(k) Plan Sponsors on Satisfaction with their Advisor, which surveyed 395 plan sponsors who use an advisor to help them with their 401(k) plans; Fidelity Advisor 2007 Survey of Retirement Advisors on Plan Sponsor Satisfaction and Practice Management, which included responses from 415 advisors who sell 401(k) plans. Fidelity Investments analysis based on a model that uses specific assumptions regarding an average hypothetical advisor 401(k) practice, types of investments sold by an advisor, and other assumptions. See information on page 17 of "Growing a 401(k) practice from the inside out" for details on all assumptions used.

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Fidelity Investments Institutional Services Company, Inc.
82 Devonshire Street, Boston MA 02109