Franklin Templeton Implements Auto-Switch for Canadian Investors

Also, Management Fee Reduced for Franklin Quotential Balanced Growth Portfolio

TORONTO, Dec. 7, 2016 /CNW/ - Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. today announced that it is implementing monthly automatic switching in its Simplicity Pricing program starting December 12, 2016¹, making it easier for investors to receive preferred pricing.

"We are committed to providing our clients with the best available pricing and making it easy for them to access it," said Duane Green, managing director of Canada for Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. "Clients are already receiving the best value for their investment dollars through Simplicity Pricing, and we can now ensure that this switch to preferred pricing is automatic for their fee-based accounts."

For fee-based accounts, when clients reach a balance of $100,000 or more, they will be automatically switched to the corresponding Simplicity Pricing series, where applicable. For commission-based accounts, advisors will be notified on a monthly basis when they have a client who reaches a balance of $200,000 or more, so they can move the client into the lower-fee series as deemed applicable.

Launched in October 2016, Franklin Templeton's Simplicity Pricing program introduced several features for advisors and investors, including a lower investment minimum for certain series, expanded dealer compliance support, simplified series naming conventions and asset class pricing alignment. It also facilitates the aggregation of family assets outside of a household through account linking, providing clients with quicker access to preferred pricing in fee-based and commission-based accounts.

Simplicity Pricing recognizes and rewards higher levels of investment by implementing a competitively priced flat fee, beginning at $100,000 for fee-based accounts, $200,000 for commission-based accounts and with no minimum for managed accounts. For commission-based accounts, additional fee breaks are available at $2.5 million and at $5 million, making Franklin Templeton's fees among the most competitive in the industry.

In late December, advisors will begin receiving the monthly notifications indicating which of their commission-based clients are eligible for the preferred pricing series or when fee-based clients have been automatically moved to the preferred pricing fund series.

Franklin Quotential Balanced Growth Portfolio fee reduction

Franklin Templeton announced a management fee reduction for Franklin Quotential Balanced Growth Portfolio and Franklin Quotential Balanced Growth Corporate Class Portfolio, managed by Franklin Templeton Solutions. The management fee for Series O/OT and Series PF/PFT will be reduced by 0.05 per cent for clients with $200,000 or more in assets. The reductions for Series O/OT will be retroactive to October 3, 2016 and for Series PF/PFT became effective December 6, 2016.

Franklin Quotential is a comprehensive investment solution with six multi-asset portfolios that provide investors with an institutional level of diversification by asset class, investment style and geography, with little duplication at the security level. The C$8.5 billion² Franklin Quotential program is backed by a global investment team dedicated to using a disciplined approach to multi-asset management, seeking to mitigate risks and maximize returns for investors' portfolios.

About Franklin Templeton Investments
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton Investments. Franklin Templeton Investments provides global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 180 countries. Through specialized teams, the company has expertise across all asset classes—including equity, fixed income, alternative and custom solutions. The company's more than 600 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With offices in 35 countries, the California–based company has more than 65 years of investment experience and US$723 billion (over C$970 billion) in assets under management as of October 31, 2016.

For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca or connect with Franklin Templeton on Twitter (@FTI_Global) and read the Beyond Bulls & Bears blog featuring perspectives from Franklin Templeton investment professionals around the world.

1.  Pending regulatory approval.
2.  As of October 31, 2016.

Copyright © 2016. Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Franklin Templeton Investments Corp.

For further information: Media contact: Sarah Kingdon, Corporate Communications, Franklin Templeton Investments, 416.957.6191