Company recommends practical changes to clarify implementation and enhance the customer experience during and after e-delivery transitions

NEW YORK: Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) announced that it has submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) supporting the agency’s proposal to modernize how required investor disclosures and other information may be delivered electronically.

Voya applauded the SEC’s effort to update a framework that currently defaults to paper delivery, recognizing that many Americans increasingly access and manage important information online. The company said a modern electronic-delivery framework can improve accessibility and security, create a more engaging and personalized experience.

"Digital communication is not only what people increasingly expect – it can improve investors’ access to information, strengthen security and support a more personalized experience,” said Amy Vaillancourt, president, Retirement, Voya Financial. “The SEC’s proposal recognizes that reality, and we appreciate the opportunity to contribute to a framework that keeps people informed in the way that works best for them.”

Voya’s recommendations focus on several key areas that would enhance the proposed rule’s workability without diminishing investor protection:

• Streamline the transition from paper to electronic delivery. Voya recommends a single, clear paper notice rather than two substantially similar notices. The company also recommends eliminating the proposed 180-day waiting period or, if a waiting period is retained, replacing it with a shorter and more practical timeframe. Investors would continue to have the ability to request paper documents or opt out of electronic delivery.
• Recognize how retirement plans and financial services operate. Voya recommends allowing electronic addresses obtained through employers, retirement plans, affiliates, and service providers to be used when the intended use is clearly disclosed. This would reduce duplicative enrollment steps and create a more connected experience for retirement plan participants, while preserving their ability to update their information or choose paper delivery.
• Provide flexible, secure access to online information. Rather than requiring links to lead directly to individual documents in every instance, Voya recommends permitting investors to access information through a secure home page or document center when the material can be reached through a small number of clear, intuitive steps. This approach would support convenient access while accommodating evolving cybersecurity and authentication practices.
• Clarify how firms may address failed electronic deliveries. Voya recommends allowing firms to redirect communications to a valid secondary electronic address previously provided or accepted by the investor. This would help maintain timely access to information without requiring unnecessary repetition of initial disclosures.

The recommendations reflect Voya’s broader commitment to expanding access to financial resources and information, building confidence through clear communication and meaningful investor choice, and evolving for the future through secure, practical and adaptable digital experiences.

Voya encouraged the SEC to incorporate these refinements while retaining the proposal’s core protections, including investors’ ability to request paper copies, update their electronic addresses and opt out of electronic delivery.

About Voya Financial®
Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) is a leading retirement, employee benefits and investment management company. Voya’s services and solutions help clear the path to financial confidence and a more fulfilling life for individual, workplace and institutional clients, supporting more than 18 million customer relationships. Certified as a “Great Place to Work” by the Great Place to Work® Institute, Voya fosters a culture that values customer centricity, integrity, accountability, agility and inclusivity. Together with customers and partners, Voya employees fight for everyone’s opportunity for a better financial future. For more information visit voya.com and follow Voya Financial on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

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Fonte: Business Wire