Retirement-plan seller looks to win friends in the private-client space. John Hancock Retirement Plan Services hopes to turn the heads of financial advisors its way by sponsoring free “health” assessments for financial-planning and wealth-advisory businesses. The practice check-ups, conducted by Australian consulting firm Business Health, would otherwise cost around $1,000, according to John Hancock.

The first 400 advisors to sign up for the Center for Due Diligence’s October 2006 conference on retirement-industry trends and innovations will get the assessments.

Say "ah"

“John Hancock is committed to industry best practices, and feels this is an effective way for us to help advisors,” says John Hancock Western divisional head Tom Bruns. “At the same time we and the industry will benefit from the conclusions drawn from the consolidated data.”

Business Health’s “HealthCheck” is a web-based “diagnostic” tool designed to give advisors comprehensive analyses of the “key business drivers” within their practices, according to the consulting firm’s website blurb. “It also includes practical ideas and actions to help further enhance their business.”

John Hancock’s sponsorship of the advisory business assessments stands to win it mindshare in the high-end private-client space as it looks to broaden uptake for its retirement plans and 401(k)s among well-heeled small business owners and professionals by making itself useful to their advisors.

Data from the John Hancock-sponsored HealthCheck will be presented by Business health this fall at the Center for Due Diligence’s conference in Chicago.

John Hancock is the U.S. face of Canadian insurance giant Manulife Financial. The Boston-based subsidiary offers a range of financial products and services including whole-, term, variable-, and universal-life insurance, as well as college-savings products, fixed and variable annuities, long-term-care insurance, mutual funds and various kinds of business insurance. –FWR

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