Investors prefer face-to-face interaction with financial advisors and say more would improve relationships

BOSTON, July 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent John Hancock survey, investors ranked face-to face meetings as their preferred method of interaction with their financial advisors, followed by phone calls and then by email.

As for improving their relationships with advisors, three in ten (31 percent) say more in-person interaction is the best solution, while nearly one in five think that regular electronic updates about their account is the best way to improve client experience. Few believe that online self-service tools (11 percent) or regular updates on financial markets (five percent) would significantly improve their experience.

The findings were drawn from the second quarter 2016 John Hancock Investor Sentiment Survey, a quarterly poll of affluent investors.  The survey measures investors' feelings about the current economic climate and their evaluations of what represents a good or bad investment given the current environment.  The poll also asks consumers about their confidence in reaching key financial goals and likelihood of purchasing financial products and services.

Chief among the services advisors provide for their clients is investment recommendations and a plan for managing those investments (66 percent), investors say. Sixty percent relied on their advisor for a retirement plan, while 53 percent said their advisor prepared a comprehensive financial plan for major life events and goals.

Nearly three-fourths of investors (73 percent) say that they consider themselves to be partnering with their advisor in exploring options and making the final decisions on their portfolios. Only one in five (18 percent) say they accept what their advisor recommends.

About the John Hancock Investor Sentiment Survey
John Hancock's Investor Sentiment Survey is a quarterly poll of affluent investors.  The survey measures investors' feelings about the current economic climate and their evaluations of what represents a good or bad investment given the current environment.  The poll also asks consumers about their confidence in reaching key financial goals and their attitudes toward specific financial products and services. This online survey was conducted by independent research firm Greenwald & Associates.  A total of 1,011 investors were surveyed from May 9^th to May 20^th, 2016.  Respondents were selected from among members of Research Now's online research panel.  To qualify, respondents were required to participate at least to some extent in their household's financial decision-making process, have a household income of at least $75,000, and assets of $100,000 or more. Demographic information and other respondent characteristics are available upon request. The data were weighted by age and education to reflect the population of Americans matching the survey's qualification requirements. In a similarly-sized random sample survey, the margin of error would be plus or minus 3.15 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.  Due to rounding and missing categories, numbers presented may not always total to 100 percent.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife
John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were $904 billion (US $697 billion) as at March 31, 2016. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Financial

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