National Planning Corporation (NPC) today announced the launch of a 401(k) retirement plan program designed for small and mid-sized companies that gives all plan participants access to personalized, one-on-one investment advice from an experienced financial advisor. The program uses exchange-traded funds (ETFs) designed and managed by Avatar Associates as the plan’s primary investment option. "The retirement plan market has long been dominated by mutual funds, but the transparency of fees and low cost of ETFs make them an extremely efficient and attractive investment for both plan sponsors and participants,” said NPC President Shawn Dreffein. "By using advanced technology for administration and record keeping, NPC is able to make a high-quality, advice-driven 401(k) program affordable and easy to implement for middle-market companies.” Designed with a focus on meeting the needs of the plan participant, NPC’s program provides each employee with the opportunity to receive individual consultation from an experienced financial adviser at no additional cost. NPC representatives deliver quarterly onsite investment seminars, and employees can schedule appointments with the adviser of their choice as needed. Plan participants can select from five fully diversified portfolios, professionally managed and rebalanced regularly by Avatar. Participants also have convenient online or telephone access to their plan information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "By giving all employees, regardless of their position in the company, access to personalized service from an experienced financial adviser and tactical asset allocation from a professional money manager investing in ETFs, we are effectively changing the way people invest and prepare for retirement,” said Stuart Paris, an NPC representative and president of Paris International, a N.Y.-based financial services firm that offers the new program. "NPC’s plan is also highly flexible – it works just as efficiently for businesses with 10 employees as it does for those with 1,000 employees.” Dedicated teams of 401(k) professionals have been established at seven regional offices across the country to help representatives incorporate 401(k)s into their practices and assist them with sales and service. For plan sponsors, the program offers easy online access to participant account and investment information, as well as updates in employee benefit laws and other fiduciary considerations. The program provides each employer with an individual plan book that includes educational material for plan participants along with risk assessment questionnaires, portfolio descriptions, enrollment forms and a glossary of terms. NPC is one of four firms in the National Planning Holdings, Inc.® (NPH®) network, the nation’s seventh-largest independent broker-dealer network1. For more information about National Planning Corporation, please visit www.NatPlan.com. About National Planning Holdings, Inc. Santa Monica, Calif.-based National Planning Holdings, Inc. (NPH) is a broker-dealer holding company and an affiliate of Lansing, Mich.-based Jackson National Life Insurance Company. NPH serves as the holding company for the independent broker-dealers INVEST Financial Corporation, Investment Centers of America, National Planning Corporation, and SII Investments, Inc. Collectively, the NPH broker-dealer network currently has 2,608 registered representatives. NPH and Jackson are wholly owned by Prudential plc (NYSE:PUK), a company incorporated and with its principal place of business in the United Kingdom. Prudential plc is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc., a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America. 1 Independent Broker-Dealer Network rankings by gross revenue, InvestmentNews, 4/24/06