Mizuho Securities to enhance services for elderly clients

April 24, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's Mizuho Securities Co. plans to boost the number of consultants for elderly customers to 70-80 within fiscal 2018 from 13 at the end of last month, its president, Koichi Iida, has said in a recent interview.

In cooperation with other key units of Mizuho Financial Group Inc. <8411>, the company is expected to deploy such consultants in stages, mainly at branches in areas with high proportions of elderly residents, including the Tohoku northeastern and Shikoku western regions.

They provide advice to elderly clients on a wide range of issues, including investment, inheritance and nursing.

Currently, Mizuho Securities has such consultants mainly at branches in the central prefectures of Toyama and Gifu.

"It's extremely important to offer services that meet the various needs of elderly customers in a comprehensive way," Iida said, apparently referring to the rapid aging of customers of securities companies.

Mizuho Securities will utilize the branch network of Mizuho Bank and the know-how of Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., which is strong in inheritance and testamentary trust-related services, he suggested.

Iida also signaled his company's hope to make young people more familiar with securities investment by, for example, encouraging them to purchase investment trusts and other financial products using funds withheld from their monthly salaries. Jiji Press