Group Five Releases Results for Full Administration Services for Corporate Stock Plan Administrators

SAN ANSELMO, Calif., Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Group Five's 2018 Stock Plan Administration Benchmarking Study finds plan sponsors' loyalty to their full administration service providers increasing, even as their overall satisfaction retreats slightly from last year's highs. As investments in account support and plan participant services have increased client satisfaction over the last several years, clients are expecting investments in technology to catch-up. "We've definitely seen a shift in the last two years," says Kathy Huston, Director of Research at Group Five. "Plan sponsors continue to value strong customer support but are increasing their expectations for technology upgrades to make the administration of their plans easier."

Fidelity Stock Plan Services received the highest loyalty rating for full administration services, for the seventh consecutive year, with an NPS of 68, followed by UBS with an NPS of 67, E*TRADE at 64, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch at 62. Charles Schwab received the highest rating for overall satisfaction for the first time with a 95 percent favorable rating. Four other providers received high overall satisfaction ratings, with E*TRADE, Fidelity, and UBS at 93, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch at 92 percent favorable. A complimentary summary of the study results is available at our website, www.groupfiveinc.com/benchmarks.

"Companies today have a choice of providers to manage their equity compensation plans, and demand a high level of service, support and expertise to meet their evolving needs and those of their employees," said Mark Haggerty, head of Fidelity's Stock Plan Services. "Having our clients give us the highest loyalty rating for full administration services, for the seventh consecutive year, is truly an honor and is testament to Fidelity's ongoing commitment to deliver an unparalleled client experience and to help employees recognize maximum value from their equity programs."

"We are, of course, very honored to earn the highest rating in overall satisfaction from our clients," said Marc McDonough, Senior Vice President of Workplace Financial Solutions at Charles Schwab. "But even more important is what the rating represents: a confirmation that our client-first focus and ongoing investments in our people and capabilities are clearly delivering real value to our clients and their employees."

"We pride ourselves on service excellence and making the participant experience top-notch from beginning to end," said Scott Whatley, President of E*TRADE Financial Corporate Services, Inc. "E*TRADE's stock plan experience is built around the needs of today's participant—delivering solutions and resources that help them easily understand their benefits and how they fit within their overall financial picture. We are thrilled that the Group 5 study has recognized our efforts to optimize the participant experience both in-person and across our digital platforms, so participants can quickly and easily understand and act on their stock plan benefits." 

"We sincerely appreciate our clients' participation in this benchmark survey.  We believe our results – including our notable multi-year increase in Net Promoter Score – further validates our strategic commitment to this business, which includes our ongoing investment in technology and advice led model for every level of participant through both our people and our digital tools." said Michael Barry, Head of UBS Equity Plan Advisory Services.

Now in its 20^th year, the annual study includes responses from 811 public companies who use a third party to manage the recordkeeping and execution of plan participant transactions. The study is the only independent forum for plan sponsors to confidentially make their opinions and priorities known to service providers.

Founded in 1990, Group Five LLC is a corporate services research and consulting firm. Group Five, a leader in business-to-business loyalty and satisfaction research and consulting, is best known for research in stock plan administration and shareholder services.

* NPS®, Net Promoter® & Net Promoter® Score are a registered trademark of Fred Reichheld, Satmetrix, and Bain & Company. Net Promoter Scores range from -100 to +100 based upon the difference between the percent of promoter and detractor scores. 

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of Group Five.

Company Contact:
Kathy Huston, 415.785.7983
[email protected] 
www.groupfiveinc.com

SOURCE Group Five

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