Financial Printing

Since our initial review of financial printers in 2007, the industry has undergone significant transformation, with the number of players decreasing by over half. This decline is attributed to a drop in demand for printed materials, driven by the rise of Notice and Access and a prevailing belief in the web as the optimal, fastest, and most cost-effective means of disseminating crucial corporate information. The relentless pursuit of cost reduction by corporations has also contributed to the diminishing demand.

Despite these challenges, a few traditional financial printers endure, emphasizing that competition still thrives in the USA, and financial printing remains fundamentally a service-oriented business – a key consideration for savvy buyers. Notably, new entrants, such as Broadridge Financial Solutions, have emerged, offering digital printing expertise, size, strength, and a convenient “one-stop-shopping” solution during annual meetings.

In the last two years, a growing awareness has emerged among companies that reducing the quality and quantity of printed materials can be detrimental. Well-designed printed materials have an immediate impact, prompting recipients to engage with the content. As corporate governance matters become more complex, attention has shifted towards effective ways of capturing readers’ attention, garnering support, and securing votes.

Printed materials convey a strong message about a company’s strength and its commitment to shareholders. While web-based models are gaining ground, with the “push model” often garnering more shareholder attention than the “pull model,” the design and functionality of materials and voting sites can influence outcomes.

In the realm of financial printing, we, as purchasers ourselves, emphasize the importance of relationships with financial printers. Changing printers can be challenging and disruptive, and maintaining good relationships yields dividends. Nevertheless, regular benchmarking of market prices and services ensures that you are getting value for your investment.

Key advice:

  • Prioritize relationships with financial printers for long-term benefits.
  • Regularly benchmark market prices and services to ensure competitiveness.
  • Exercise caution when letting other suppliers buy printing for you to avoid hidden surcharges.
  • Employ a well-designed RFP process to secure a good deal and prevent surprises in billing.
  • Use phone calls from those knowledgeable about the printing business to negotiate better pricing.
    Scrutinize printing bills for surcharges, extras, and mathematical errors.
  • Conduct due diligence on new printers, checking D&B reports, to ensure a sustainable and reliable long-term relationship.

Listings: Financial Printing

Capitalize on true end-to-end service, from disclosure composition, EDGAR and SEC filing to document design and virtual data room. One vendor provides for greater accountability, transparency and cost savings. Plus, hands-on delivery gives you maximum control at every step.

Let us help you prepare and file SEC documents quickly and accurately with our lightning-fast composition platform. Our proprietary system processes routine tasks at the click of a mouse and seamlessly exports into HTML, EDGAR, print and web ready PDFs and Word. Automatic blacklining, repagination and TOC updates accelerate execution and eliminate associated per-page costs. Alternatively, leverage our self-service filing software solution to generate, complete, review and file financial statements and other SEC forms securely in minutes.

Select our advanced EDGAR filing software or outsource everything to Broadridge experts. You decide how much or how little of the process to manage on your own.

Ron Schneider

Ron Schneider

Director, Corporate Governance Services

DFIN is dedicated to service. Our global, 24/7/365 customer-service team is available whenever and wherever you need help. Each client is assigned an experienced deal manager to serve as your “go-to” person for all questions and concerns, ensuring there are no surprises around document specifications, costs, or deadlines. Our EDGAR filing experts are unmatched in their regulatory knowledge and sustained record of filing accuracy. In fact, DFIN handles more than 160,000 EDGAR filings each year—more than any other filing agent. Leverage our global network of manufacturing locations, including digital presses, for quick-turnaround projects, premium color services, state-of-the-art technology, and expansive logistics services. We own our facilities, and our service team ensures your documents are produced accurately and delivered on time.

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