Ibbotson Associates and NFC Consulting Group Unite to Offer Continuing Education Seminars

New Courses Offer the Best of Ibbotson's Financial Analysis Images and NFC's Academic Content


CHICAGO, March 9, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Ibbotson Associates and NFC Consulting Group today announced an alliance to co-brand and co-market educational seminars for continuing education credit. NFC Consulting, a Chicago-based financial services consulting firm, has combined its premier course content with Ibbotson Associates' NASD-approved presentation materials to create a one-of-a-kind training product for insurance carriers, broker-dealer firms, mutual fund companies and financial institutions. The first seminar offered covers asset allocation and is now available.

"Top-level investment professionals continue to hone their skills and knowledge in order to stay competitive and expand their businesses," said Mark Kowalczyk, vice president and director of sales for Ibbotson Associates. "Both NFC Consulting and Ibbotson have been in the business of developing and presenting professional continuing education courses for more than a decade. This alliance allows us to create a premium educational product and expand the scope of our audience."

The Ibbotson/NFC material has been filed with all states for insurance continuing education credit as well as educational credit for the following professional designations: Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)/Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Ibbotson and NFC plan to unveil a computer-based version of the program in the future, which will add flexibility to the educational training course.

Cindy DiBiase, president and CEO of NFC Consulting, said, "We teamed up with Ibbotson Associates to create an educational forum that not only teaches analytical concepts, but also gives attendees valuable tools to use to expand their relationships with clients. With our combined products, Ibbotson and NFC Consulting will be able to offer the financial services industry a unique educational and business opportunity."

About Ibbotson Associates

Ibbotson Associates, founded by Professor Roger Ibbotson in 1976, is the world's leading authority on asset allocation, providing products and services to help investment professionals make the best asset allocation decisions for their clients.

The company's business lines include consulting and research; investment forecasting, planning and analysis software; educational services ranging from on-site workshops to computer based training; and a widely used line of presentation materials designed to educate clients on asset allocation concepts and investment principles. With offices in Chicago and New York, Ibbotson Associates fills a growing need in the finance and investment industry for an independent, single source provider of investment knowledge, practical application expertise, leading edge technology, educational services and sales presentation tools. Ibbotson markets its integrated product line of investment analytical tools and services to institutional money managers, plan sponsors, and consultants for quantitative analysis, high level decision making and presentations. The company's clients also include financial planners, brokers, mutual fund firms, private bankers and small money managers.

About NFC Consulting Group

Headquartered in Chicago, NFC Consulting has been providing a wide range of services to the insurance, banking and mutual fund industries since 1986. These consulting services help financial organizations develop products, strategies and tactics to succeed in today's increasingly competitive business environment while also anticipating future trends. The company's business lines include distribution strategy/channel development, continuing education and training, product design and industry research. Recent initiatives include Instant Intelligence(, a customized program tailored to the information needs of financial services organizations that encompasses product innovations, distribution trends and NFC's proprietary industry research. Additionally, NFC will release its comprehensive industry study, 401(k)2000 in late March. The study takes a comparative view of the sales process, education, service and technology delivered by the industry's leading 401(k) plan providers.



            

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