MassMutual Retirement Services Brings Its 'Game Face' to the Participant Online Experience

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MassMutual's Retirement Services Division recently launched its new RetireSmart(SM) interactive participant experience that includes a new Facebook page, an enhanced participant website, and an interactive game that "ages" participants to inspire them to save for what may be a far-off retirement. Recent research showed that college-level participants who saw an "aged" image of themselves allocated twice as much to retirement savings*.

"We believe MassMutual's participant experience sets the bar for helping participants be retirement ready," says E. Heather Smiley, chief marketing officer for MassMutual's Retirement Services Division. "The needs and communication preferences of participants are changing rapidly, and providers need to evolve to meet those needs. MassMutual's new experience is backed by our proprietary data capabilities, behavioral research and investments in both online and offline participant tools that enable them to engage with us when, where and how they prefer. Participants also have different financial needs at every age and every stage of life, and our offering has expanded to meet those diverse populations, from young Gen Y through retirees. At MassMutual, our goal is to reach every participant with the guidance they need to make good decisions for a comfortable retirement," adds Smiley.

MassMutual's simple, action-oriented approach is the differentiator behind its overall RetireSmart(SM) participant education platform. It is designed to prompt participants to take their next, most impactful step for adequate retirement savings – and to make it as easy as possible for participants to do so in the manner they prefer. "We want to make retirement planning and saving as simple as possible while also making it fun and engaging," adds Kris Gates, assistant vice president, participant education and technology.  "Our 'edutainment' offerings (both educational and entertaining) are designed especially to capture the attention of Gen Y, a generation likely to have reduced Social Security benefits and no pensions. We can have a huge impact in helping them meet their sizeable personal retirement obligations by prompting small steps now that take advantage of their long horizon until retirement."

*Research conducted by Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, 2010.

In addition to the new Facebook page and interactive app, highlights of MassMutual's new RetireSMART.com website include:

• Custom "look and feel" including the plan sponsor's logo and creative choice of core plan education materials
• Shorter, more intuitive menus to help participants find what they need quickly and easily
• "Quick Links" to Plan, Save, Allocate and Consolidate tools so participants can take immediate action while they are focused on a particular task
• A powerful search feature that enables enrolled and yet-to-be-enrolled employees (as well as their spouses and family members) to search MassMutual's RetireSmart(SM) website by topic, age, life event, level of investment knowledge and other criteria
• An area where plan sponsors can post important information for their participants

"These participant website enhancements are just the beginning of a multi-year technology strategy to help participants, plan sponsors and advisors meet their retirement plan needs," says Scott Palmer, vice president, MassMutual Retirement Services Systems. "We look forward to bringing the retirement industry all that new technologies have to offer."

For more information about MassMutual Retirement Services, please contact your retirement plan advisor or call MassMutual at (888) 626-4911.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/retiresmart

Participant website: http://www.retiresmart.com

Interactive game: http://www.retiresmartmoves.com

About MassMutual

MassMutual's Retirement Services Division has been serving retirement plans for more than 60 years. It offers a full range of products and services for corporate, union, nonprofit and governmental employers' defined benefit, defined contribution and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. It serves approximately 1.2 million participants.

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders every year since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company's strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) [of which Retirement Services is a division] and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC., member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

For more information, visit massmutual.com.

Copyright © 2011 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001.  All rights reserved.

SOURCE MassMutual Retirement Services

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