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Northwestern Mutual: Three Months, 30,000 Financial PlansNorthwestern Mutual: Three Months, 30,000 Financial Plans

The insurance company's year-end report shows a strong push into digital financial planning.

Samuel Steinberger, Senior Technology Editor

February 22, 2019

1 Min Read
northwestern mutual

Northwestern Mutual said its Planning Experience program, introduced to reps in October, resulted in more than 30,000 financial plans being created in 2018, according to the company's year-end report. The tool was developed, in part, from the company's acquisition of LearnVest in 2015.

The software lets clients and the company's employees work together to "set comprehensive lifelong and temporary financial goals," according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, including strategies for maximizing retirement savings, saving for college or repaying student loans. The tool also outputs a financial wellness score.

The tens of thousands of financial plans are part of the company's digital strategy, which also saw underwriting time for life insurance reduced significantly, the company said.

"We’re also competing with the Merrill Lynches of the world and the Bairds of the world to manage clients’ money," explained John Schlifske, the company's CEO, at a Milwaukee business gathering, the newspaper reported. “We think it’s vitally important that you have an advisor plus technology. That’s where I see us going as a company.”

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About the Author

Samuel Steinberger

Senior Technology Editor, WealthManagement.com

Samuel Steinberger is Senior Technology Editor for Informa Connect’s WealthManagement.com. In his role, Mr. Steinberger provides the publication’s wealth and financial technology coverage. 

Mr. Steinberger’s editorial insight and familiarity with technology accelerates Informa’s growth within the financial advisor and wealth management communities, providing in-depth news for advisors and financial professionals. 

Before joining Informa Connect, Mr. Steinberger produced documentaries with former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien at Soledad O’Brien Productions (formerly Starfish Media Group). He specialized in research, shooting and editing, as well as finding distinct voices to explain topics like mental health, poverty and racial divide. 

Prior to joining Soledad O’Brien Productions, Mr. Steinberger managed multi-departmental technology projects for global legal technology leader Transperfect Legal Solutions. After obtaining his graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University, he completed his transition from technology management to media. 

Mr. Steinberger is an award-winning journalist, author and researcher who has written, edited and reported for a number of publications, including The New York Times, Financial PlanningAmerican Banker and PBS. He is founder of beverages publication Give Me Weird Drinks

Mr. Steinberger’s technology analysis and insight has been featured in several books on virtual and augmented reality. Mr. Steinberger has received awards and recognition for his reporting and research, including the American Business Media's prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award for editorial excellence.

Follow on Twitter: @slsteinberger