Deals & People

Annuity Think Tank, a website dedicated to annuities, has acquired Private Pension Plan, an educational resource company specializing in private pension plans.

LPL Financial is acquiring Fortigent, a provider of high-net-worth solutions and consulting services to RIAs, banks and trust companies. 

Rycon Financial Group of Dallas, Texas, has joined Pensionmark Retirement Group’s retirement plan advisory network.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis made five appointments to the 2012 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans.  

MassMutual promoted three executives to senior vice president.  

Benefit Consultants Group (BCG) has purchased ARS Retirement Services, a retirement plan third party administration firm.

James A. Gingrich is the new chief operating officer, effective immediately.  

CBIZ, Inc. has acquired the actuarial and retirement plan consulting business of PSA Insurance and Financial Services. 

MFS Investment Management has hired Peter J. Barron and Murray A. Cleaner to the defined contribution investments (DCI) team as DCI specialists. 

John Hancock Funds hired Kevin Hogan to be managing director. 

Freedom One Financial Group added Joshua Mietelski, Casey Progodzinski and Eric Thompson to its team of sales consultants. 

Jeffrey Rosenberg has joined BlackRock as a managing director and chief investment strategist for fixed income. 

401(k) Rekon has named Mike Ziccardi as director of strategic relationships.

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America named Walter White as president and CEO, effective January 1, 2012. 

300 North Capital, LLC named Brown Windle and Christopher Vassilopoulos as senior vice presidents for Institutional Sales.   

Securian Financial Group appointed Christopher M. Hilger to president, effective January 1, 2012.  

Bank of America plans to add more than 160 Merrill Edge Financial Solutions Advisors (FSAs) across Southern California and Arizona.

Erin Spalsbury joins J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Liability Driven Investment (LDI) Solutions group.  

VALIC has named Troy Dryer managing vice president, relationship management.  

CAPTRUST is expanding into Texas with the acquisition of Cobb Retirement Solutions.