Best Practices in the Financial Services Industry Announced for 2014

Corporate Insight Names its 2014 Monitor Award Winners in the Annuity, Asset Management, Banking, Brokerage, Credit Card, Insurance and Retirement Plan Industries

NEW YORK--()--Corporate Insight, the leading provider of competitive intelligence and user experience research to the financial services industry, announced today the release of its 2014 Monitor Awards. For more than 15 years, Corporate Insight has presented Gold, Silver and Bronze awards to recognize the best and most innovative financial services firms for their digital offerings in the annuity, asset management, banking, brokerage, credit card, insurance and retirement plan industries.

Corporate Insight’s Monitor teams use rigorous grading criteria to review key online resources across over 100 financial services firms’ websites. Through these assessments, the firm highlights leaders in a number of different areas including site navigation, information accessibility, alert centers, advisor resources and interactive tools, among others.

“The digital landscape is always evolving. To provide a best-in-class experience, it’s crucial that financial institutions continue to innovate each year,” says Dana Peterson, Vice President of Monitor Services. “Our Monitor Awards not only give deserved recognition to companies that excel, but also offer a clear view of the industry’s best practices, which helps our clients set their development priorities for the year ahead and beyond.”

2014 Gold Monitor Award Winners

Gold Monitor Awards are presented for digital features that offer comprehensive services and exceptional usability. Corporate Insight would like to recognize the following nine companies who received the highest number of Gold Monitor Awards in their respective industry segments in 2014:

-- Advisor Monitor Awards

   

-- Life Insurance Monitor Awards

Lord Abbett The Principal
 

-- Annuity Monitor Awards

-- Mutual Fund Monitor Awards

Jackson National Fidelity
 

-- Bank Monitor Awards

-- Property & Casualty Monitor Awards

Citibank

Allstate

 

-- Credit Card Monitor Awards

-- Retirement Plan Monitor Awards

Citicards

TIAA-CREF

Discover

 

 

-- e-Monitor Awards (Online Brokerage)

 

Fidelity
 

A Look Back at 2014

Financial services firms made many changes to their digital capabilities in 2014, rebranding and updating existing content while also introducing new tools. Several firms unveiled complete revamps on either their public or private sites. Nationwide and Liberty Mutual streamlined their private sites with enhanced navigation and responsive design, while Capital One and Citizens Bank overhauled their public sites. AXA, Athene and Voya all re-launched their public, private and advisor sites due to name changes and rebranding, incorporating intuitive navigation and customization options.

In updating their websites, firms in multiple industries also focused on security. Vanguard, UBS, Raymond James, Charles Schwab and Santander all upgraded security features to protect clients’ information, in part responding to major breaches in 2014. Innovations included Vanguard’s Voice Verification service and Santander’s One-Time Passcode authentication for verification of higher-limit transfers.

Another notable trend was the introduction of new website tools and calculators. Fidelity, Janus, American Funds, Voya and The Principal launched retirement planners to assist clients in understanding, projecting and examining their savings. Advances in advisor tools were also widespread, with many firms ensuring that tools were both mobile and web-compatible.

Finally, Corporate Insight saw innovation among mobile application functions, particularly among credit card issuers and property and casualty insurers. Of note, Discover launched a Google Glass app about nine months before the demise of the Glass platform, while State Farm introduced an object recognition feature into its app that allows users to take a photograph of the other driver’s vehicle, thus expediting claim submissions.

“Corporate Insight’s Monitor research continues to provide a unique and exceptionally detailed view of the customer experience,” says Michael Ellison, president of Corporate Insight. “As a result, our clients receive objective, competitive intelligence that inspires continuous innovation.”

Additional information on Corporate Insight’s Monitor Awards is available at: corporateinsight.com/monitorservices/monitor-awards

About Corporate Insight

Corporate Insight provides competitive intelligence and user experience research to the nation’s leading financial institutions. For more than two decades, the firm has tracked technological developments in the financial services industry, identifying best practices in online banking and investing, online insurance, mobile finance, active trading platforms, social media and other emerging areas. The firm helps its clients – including 70% of the financial services firms in the Fortune 500 – to remain at the forefront of industry trends and improve their competitive position.

Further information on Corporate Insight is available at http://public.corporateinsight.com/about-us/what-we-do.

Contacts

For more information on Corporate Insight’s 2014 Monitor Awards reports, please contact:
Intermarket Communications
Stephanie DiIorio, 212-754-5181
sdiiorio@intermarket.com
or
Hilary Edelstein, 212-754-5448
hedelstein@intermarket.com

Release Summary

Corporate Insight, the leading provider of competitive intelligence and user experience research to the financial services industry, announced today the release of its 2014 Monitor Awards.

Contacts

For more information on Corporate Insight’s 2014 Monitor Awards reports, please contact:
Intermarket Communications
Stephanie DiIorio, 212-754-5181
sdiiorio@intermarket.com
or
Hilary Edelstein, 212-754-5448
hedelstein@intermarket.com