The Principal Financial Group and Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) today announced an alliance to promote annuity products via the Internet. The Principal Financial Group will be the first company to offer variable and fixed annuities information to consumers through Intuit's Quicken InsureMarket(sm) (http://www.insuremarket.com).
The service is available today and is part of Quicken InsureMarket's broad new annuity marketplace. "Quicken InsureMarket's annuity marketplace is designed to help consumers understand annuities, providing information and interactive tools to help them determine the type of annuity that may be best for them," said Steven Aldrich, president of Intuit Insurance Services, Inc. "Our marketplaces can help consumers save time and money by providing tools for making informed financial decisions and then linking with leading companies that can provide the services they choose."
"This is one of the many steps the Principal Financial Group is taking to enhance customer service and reach consumers who prefer the convenience of the Internet," said Bob Millen, vice president, annuities at The Principal Financial Group. "This service also allows potential customers to discover the wide range of financial solutions our company offers with a few clicks of a mouse."
The Principal Financial Group is also one of the charter lenders for Intuit's online mortgage service. Its mortgage lending subsidiary, Principal Residential Mortgage, has been part of the QuickenMortgage Web site since its launch in November. As one of the 11 mortgage lenders offering mortgage loans, and as the charter participant of the insurance annuity site, Principal represents one of the few institutions to participate in two of Intuit's Internet financial service areas.
Quicken InsureMarket is part of Quicken.com (http://www.quicken.com), and provides individuals with information, software tools, and links to financial service providers. Quicken.com is also offered at some of the Internet's most widely visited sites -- as an exclusive provider of personal finance tools. These sites include: CNNfn (http://www.cnnfn.com/quickenonfn), Excite (http://quicken.excite.com) and both the America Online Insurance Center (keyword: insurance) and America Online Web site AOL.com.
Through these sites, consumers can learn more about annuity products offered by the Principal Financial Group through Quicken InsureMarket and then work with a licensed Principal representative who will assist them in selecting an annuity to meet their needs.
