A new tool has been launched by the National Employment Savings Trust to help advisers working with companies on auto-enrolment to cut through long winded processes and save time.

NEST Connect has been built specifically for intermediaries and has already been trialled by a group of professionals who have helped develop it themselves.
The organisation said some have already described it as 'vital' for intermediaries working with the high volumes of employers.

Ed Holt, director of AEexpress, said: "NEST Connect brings practical advantages, such as the ability to catch and process a batch of multiple clients at the same time. This function is vital during spikes of activity, such as weekly and monthly paydays."

Tim Jones, chief executive of NEST, said advisers wanted to be able to operate and log in as themselves on the system, something NEST connect enables them to do.
He said: "It's something very positive for intermediaries and we have developed it with them.
"There will be about 1.2milllion firms called to duty up to 2018 and we thought we have got to make it as easy as possible to run their business.
"NEST Connect was specifically developed to help intermediaries support employers.
"NEST Connect users tell us that it enables them to build a flexible and effective proposition. They say that's what automatic enrolment needs – solutions and products that make the process easier, especially as the volume of employers ramps up."

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Lawrence Sanderson, an IFA at Sterling & Law, said: "Automatic enrolment is going to get seriously hectic.
"There won't be time for traditional wet signatures and terms going back and forward. Online solutions like NEST Connect, that take 20 to 30 minutes per sign-up, are key if we're going to meet demand and keep the service cost-effective for employers."

According to NEST, its new tool will enable advisers to:

· Set-up directly with NEST as a delegate organisation - Intermediaries can build a direct relationship with NEST without needing to be introduced by an employer. This means intermediaries can plan ahead and be set up and ready to deliver NEST when their clients need them.
· Manage NEST for all their clients through one account - The NEST Connect hub allows intermediary firms to see all their clients on their personalised dashboard, using one login. This removes the need for individual passwords for each client – intermediaries can manage everything from one place, saving time and cost.
• Create bespoke access levels for different users within the intermediary organisation - Once the company profile has been created, they can set-up internal users with different levels of access to different employer accounts, aiding business continuity and information security.

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