Briefly:

Sun Life Financial has teamed up with National Bank to offer a bundled-service banking account. The National Bank All-In-One account will be offered through Sun Life advisors starting March 31.

“The partnership established between Sun Life Financial and National Bank has led to the addition of a valuable product for our clients,” said Vic Kazazian, senior vice-president, career sales force, Sun Life Financial Canada. “The All-In-One account will give clients a good look at their big picture financial situation, will help them manage their debt, review their savings and help clients work towards achieving lifetime financial security.”

The new account allows clients to run all of their banking — mortgage, savings, loans, and any other debt — through one account. The account appears similar to the ManulifeOne account, which essentially turns the client’s home equity into a combination savings account and line of credit.

“National Bank’s All-In-One account was awarded the 2008 Mortgage of the Year by Canadian Mortgage Trends, making it a good match with Sun Life Financial’s industry-leading suite of life insurance, health insurance, and wealth management products,” said Martin Lavigne, senior vice-president, third-party business solutions, National Bank Financial Group. “The All-In-One is a highly flexible account that can be customized to meet each individual’s needs.”

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ING DIRECT goes wireless

Speaking of bank accounts, direct banking giant ING DIRECT has rolled out wireless applications for the Blackberry and iPhone. The bank has also launched a website optimized for mobile devices.

“We’re always looking for new ways to help Canadians save their money. Canadians love their mobile devices so applications on both the BlackBerry and iPhone are a natural progression for us,” said Peter Aceto, president and CEO at ING DIRECT Canada. “Offering our clients the option of saving anywhere is an exciting frontier.”

The new apps allow clients to check account balances, review transactions, transfer funds, locate ABMs, and get directions and hours of operation for the ING DIRECT Save Your Money Cafés. The mobile banking site is m.ingdirect.ca.

(03/24/10)

Staff

The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998.