Resources

rss

Spectrum Resource Center

Advice, Articles, Events, Insights, News, Newsletters, Opinions, Press Releases, Updates, and More from Spectrum.

Specify Alternate Text

Newly Implemented Cloud Technologies Improve Client Outcomes

TACOMA, Wash., June 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spectrum Pension Consultants, Inc. (Spectrum), an independently owned licensee of Alliance Benefit Group (ABG), is pleased to announce the success and enhancement of four simultaneous engineering projects.

With the firm headquarters located less than 50 miles from the Microsoft campus, Spectrum and its development team have been attending user group seminars and conferences over the past year and successfully integrated the Microsoft product lines into the Retirement Plan Industry full of proprietary systems. Four major projects took place in 2017:

  1. Deployment of Spectrum Plan Intelligence™ a Microsoft PowerBI big data visualization dashboard where Plan Sponsors and Advisors can view imperative data from retirement plans. Data was securely and successfully transferred from the FIS Relius ASP Cloud to the Microsoft Cloud. Spectrum has licensed this front end dashboard to over 10 other FIS Relius users in the Industry, improving the Open Architecture Recordkeeping firm community.
  2. Development of Spectrum Cash Database™ a Microsoft SQL database in Microsoft Azure of Retirement Plan fund shares, positions, and cash balances by retirement plan custodian to more effectively manage cash. Push notifications allow FIS Relius users to only focus on the reconciliation projects necessary on a daily basis.
  3. Integration of DocuSign into Spectrum's record setting sales team for the signing of master service agreements, scope of work documents, and appendices improving sales closing cycle times by double digits. All three of Spectrum's physical offices (Tacoma, WA, Honolulu, HI, and Fresno, CA) have closed more business proportionately because of DocuSign.
  4. Installation of MyRetirement, an FIS Relius dashboard visualization tool assisting participants with understanding retirement goals, outcomes, and on-track status. This product also enhances our advisors' ability to provide one-on-one meetings with participants, and has been tremendously well received.

"I have personally attended more than 5 Microsoft conferences, working with colleagues and developers from all over the world who come to our back yard here in Seattle or Bellevue, Washington to learn, teach, and develop the future of technology and computing. Microsoft has really stepped up as a proven leader in the big data visualization world with Microsoft PowerBI," said CEO Petros Koumantaros. Yannis Koumantaros, who is Spectrum's CFO, commented, "At first I was skeptical about investing time and resources from our most talented staff to pursue a Technology division of Spectrum. However, after seeing what we have developed and now licensed to other Microsoft PowerBI and FIS Relius users, I cannot wait to see what our team comes up with next."

About Alliance Benefit Group (ABG)
Alliance Benefit Group (ABG), founded in 1992, is a consortium that provides services to over 22,000 Plans, more than 1.2 Million Participants, and administers north of $64 Billion in plan assets. Spectrum is the first west coast ABG affiliate, and the only firm west of Utah to be part of this consortium. Learn more here: www.abgnational.com.

About Spectrum Pension Consultants, Inc.
Spectrum is a leading service provider to employers sponsoring various retirement, deferred compensation and other employee benefit programs in the western United States. Spectrum's services are tailored to the specific needs of each individual client and include: consulting and advice; plan management and administration; and employee communication and education services. Additional information about Spectrum is available at the company's web site: www.spectrumpension.com.


blog comments powered by Disqus

Tags

professional plan design practice 401k defined benefit pension loan participant loan investing margin spectrum open golf pano cancer event tournament philanthropy retirement readiness fiduciary rule tax cuts newsletter cybersecurity plan termination merger acquisition gender retirement gap lifetime income investment returns women men fees dol documents compliance press release bi cloud technology azure plan intelligence docusign microsoft myretirement limits irs retirement plan contribution plan faq participant questions payroll finwell plan education financial wellness employees financial stress education entreprenuers business accumulation startup wealth asset allocation investments fis innovation ira technology charity award 40th anniversary celebration impact fiduciary tax deduction participant outcomes uncashed checks distributions automation recordkeeping case study millennials soc-1 portal psoy cash balance plan sponsor of the year abg mfa enrollment escalation video automatic qdia qualified default investment alternative roth debt credit saving safe harbor nondiscrimination adp acp top-heavy plan sponsor 3(16) erisa hardship withdrawal audit bond owner bundled unbundled forfeiture forfeit vested vesting consulting employer connect reports student loans db/dc providers services guide erisawrap welfare benefit plan fundraiser document cancer reserach retirement confidence unvested vested account balance wrap spd wrap document plan document welfare benefits employee benefits healthcare wrap market volatility participant behavior socially responsible esg plan participation spectrumopen spd wrapspd spectrumplatform qaca participation restate restatement erisa bond fidelity bond bonding goals plan amendment secure act SECURE secure act of 2019 legislation secureact secureact2019 secureactof2019 election 2020 coronavirus covid-19 business continuity cares act cares covid19 relief retirement plan relief the cares act covid the secure act workforce demographics older employees engagement SECURE 2.0 Act Retirement Plan Legislation 401(k) cbpp defined contribution

ERISA Workplace Retirement Plan Limits

The federal government annually publishes updated qualified retirement plan limits, which impact the contributions, benefit accruals, and compliance of ERISA covered qualified retirement plans. The below tables summarize the most significant changes in recent history.


Newsletter

Keep up on our evolving products, services, solutions, and technology through our Newsletters.

About Our Firm

Spectrum is a B2B consulting firm, which enables American Workers to plan and save towards a dignified financial future by designing, administering, and operating the ranges of retirement and financial plans for U.S. employers.

Get in touch

  • Address: 6402 19th Street, Tacoma, WA 98466, USA

  • Phone: +1 (253) 565-2100

  • Email: Contact Us Form