Merrill Corporation Presents: MerrillConnect

MerrillConnect is a web based sales and marketing portal, that delivers the technology, operations support, information, and data delivery capabilities that you will need to succeed today and into the future. MerrillConnect has five key areas that will empower and benefit your organization;

Target marketing. Customized materials to a targeted list. 1 to 1 marketing can increase the rate of return up to 15 times a normal compaign.

Fulfillment: access and order literature directly from the web with compliance controls, electronic delivery tools email notification and easy order check out

Compliance- Using MerrillConnect you are assured that all content created, approved, updated and delivered follows a very stringent and traceable workflow, taking the worry out of staying compliant.

Reporting - Robust reporting and information designed for your unique business needs. We empower you with real time data analytics to make timely decisions increase efficiency and decrease costs.

Content delivery- from the mail box to the inbox, a letter to a customer kit, a notepad to an ipad, we ensure that your marketing content reaches your audience on their schedule.

Merrill is your strategic partner to connect and win in today's dynamic marketplace.  Call or email us today to learn more and schedule a personalized demonstration!

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Merrill Corporation is proud to offer XBRL Complete, a suite of services that meets - and has options to exceed – the mandated requirements for XBRL for mutual funds. For more information, please click here or call 866-367-9110.

What are the Benefits of Data Transparency?

We’ve been covering the progress of the DATA Act on this blog since the middle of last year. Throughout that process, we’ve been explaining some of the potential benefits that this legislation could bring. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be re-examining the idea of transparency in finance, and by extension, exploring what has come out of the DATA Act since it was signed in July of this year.

The Background

We first wrote about the DATA Act in October of 2011, wherein we explained how the Act was going to use XBRL to improve transparency across the nation’s industries.

By requiring the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to consider XBRL, the federal government is getting the tools it needs to deliver better data -- which will help the Department better administer its child welfare programs and ultimately help states better serve children…We need to know who is and isn't receiving federal aid to more effectively help our children in greatest need. I think it's fitting that the first U.S. law mandating XBRL is helping our government better meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.

Then, in May of 2012, we started covering the senatorial debates standing between the Act and federal approval. The DATA Act was quickly approved by the House of Representatives, largely due to a high-profile scandal in which millions of dollars was wasted on an over-the-top Las Vegas conference. As it turned out, it moved through the senate just as quickly.

The DATA Act was a huge step in the fight for government financial transparency, and it was a wonderful moment to watch the Act pass uncontested.

Next week, we’ll update you with some of the research and results from this legislation, and we’ll follow that up by reporting on how this legislation could benefit your company.

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Merrill Corporation is proud to offer XBRL Complete, a suite of services that meets - and has options to exceed – the mandated requirements for XBRL for mutual funds. For more information, please click here or call 866-367-9110.

In the Wake of the Financial Crisis Pt. 3

Last week, we began looking at this report from McKinsey & Co., explaining some of the continuing symptoms of the 2009 financial crisis. McKinsey found that banks across the globe will continue to suffer from those effects for at least another few years. Here are a few more examples the report uncovered.

Regulatory changes have put an end to the proprietary trading models that many banks relied on. As a result, “[the report] prescribes ‘massive cost cutting’ to supplement what has already occurred at the capital markets giants.” Smaller retail and business banks are feeling the crunch as well.

Retail banks, however, face decreasing customer loyalty and business banks "no longer enjoy structurally lower funding costs than many of their large corporate clients," the study says.

Compounding banks' problems are technologies that make it much easier for new competitors to steal customers. Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) and American Express Co (AXP.N) on Monday announced a joint venture to provide financial services through a prepaid debit card aimed primarily at low-income customers.

The report also noted an 8% increase in expenses, compared to only 1% increase in revenue for those banks.

Reuters also reported on a lack of investor trust.

More than two-thirds of publicly traded banks in developed markets now trade "significantly" below book value, according to McKinsey, and the average price of insurance against bond defaults for 124 banks sampled by McKinsey rose to the highest level on record last year.

Bank stock prices globally last year traded at 11 times earnings, down from 15 in 2007.

However, there may be a silver lining after all. In addition to the bad news, Reuters also mentioned a major flaw in the McKinsey report’s findings.

Some analysts challenged the dire report. Focusing on conventional double-digit returns to shareholders when interest rates and funding costs are at historic lows is irrational, said Richard Bove, an analyst at Rochdale Securities.

"Anyone who says that banks should be making traditional returns on equity today when the ten-year Treasury is around 1.6 percent has got to explain themselves," he said…

… The good news is that banks that adapt can prosper by financing infrastructure projects that are expected to grow 60 percent by 2020, the report says, and by selling advice and retirement products to aging populations in developed nations and core banking services to new customers in emerging markets.

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Merrill Corporation is proud to offer XBRL Complete, a suite of services that meets - and has options to exceed – the mandated requirements for XBRL for mutual funds. For more information, please click here or call 866-367-9110.