OREANDA-NEWS. August 11, 2015. In a recent survey of investors by John Hancock, nearly 90 percent said that being able to resolve problems and answer questions quickly is a major part of their definition of a consumer-focused financial services company. Nearly as many investors expressed similar views toward transparency in fees and costs (85 percent). Eight in ten cite being able to call and reach a live person, and having customer service representatives who are friendly and knowledgeable, as major aspects of that definition.

The findings were drawn from the second quarter 2015 John Hancock Investor Sentiment Survey, a quarterly poll of affluent investors. The survey measures investors’ feelings about the current economic climate and their evaluations of what represents a good or bad investment given the current environment. The poll also asks consumers about their confidence in reaching key financial goals and likelihood of purchasing financial products and services.

Most investors said that offering creative solutions to problems (63 percent) and having the ability to do business online (59 percent) – including obtaining electronic signatures – are important in viewing a financial services company as consumer-focused. Only nine percent of investors said that engaging consumers on social media was important.

Over four in ten investors said that a reputation for being consumer-focused factors a great deal into their decision about which financial advisor to work with (44 percent).

About the John Hancock Investor Sentiment Survey
This online survey was conducted by independent research firm Greenwald & Associates. A total of 1,064 investors were surveyed from May 11th to May 22nd, 2015. To qualify, respondents were required to participate at least to some extent in their household’s financial decision-making process, have a household income of at least \\$75,000, and assets of \\$100,000 or more. The data were weighted by age and education to reflect the population of Americans matching the survey’s qualification requirements. In a similarly-sized random sample survey, the margin of error would be plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. Due to rounding and missing categories, numbers presented may not always total to 100 percent.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife
John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were C\\$883 billion (US\\$708 billion) as at June 30, 2015. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.