Products May 31, 2011

Russell Investments Launches 10 Factor ETFs

Russell Investments has launched what it says is the first comprehensive series of Factor exchange-traded funds (ETFs), designed to help investors manage significant risk factors within their portfolios.
Reported by

Russell’s ten U.S. equity ETFs aim to manage portfolio turnover and control exposure to high beta, low beta, high volatility, low volatility, and high momentum, as well as other non-targeted risk factors. The Russell Factor ETFs will track factor indexes created by Russell Indexes in partnership with Axioma (see “Russell and Axioma Team up to Launch Indexes“).  

The ETFs are: 

Want the latest retirement plan adviser news and insights? Sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters.

  • Russell 1000 High Beta ETF (NYSE:HBTA), 
  • Russell 1000 Low Beta ETF (NYSE:LBTA), 
  • Russell 1000 High Volatility ETF (NYSE:HVOL), 
  • Russell 1000 Low Volatility ETF (NYSE:LVOL), 
  • Russell 1000 High Momentum ETF (NYSE:HMTM), 
  • Russell 2000 High Beta ETF (NYSE:SHBT), 
  • Russell 2000 Low Beta ETF (NYSE:SLBT), 
  • Russell 2000 High Volatility ETF (NYSE:SHVY), 
  • Russell 2000 Low Volatility ETF (NYSE:SLVY), and 
  • Russell 2000 High Momentum ETF (NYSE:SHMO). 

Each Russell Factor ETF is constructed from the membership list of the U.S. large-cap Russell 1000 Index or the U.S. small-cap Russell 2000 Index, and each seeks the investment results that closely correspond to its individual Russell-Axioma Factor Index.   

The Russell ETFs have a total expense ratio of 0.49% for Russell’s large cap Factor ETFs and 0.69% for Russell’s small cap Factor ETFs.  

Products May 31, 2011

Nationwide Develops Retirement Income Strategy for Advisers

Nationwide Financial is introducing IncomeInsight, a resource for advisers to use when exploring a variable annuity with a lifetime guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit option for clients’ retirement portfolios.  
Reported by

IncomeInsight includes an interactive online tool, which was designed using research from Ibbotson, to help advisers evaluate whether a variable annuity with a lifetime guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit (VA+GMWB) strategy would complement their client’s investment portfolio.

The online workbook generates the client’s suggested retirement income portfolio, Nationwide announced. If a VA+GMWB is recommended, the online workbook suggests an amount to put into a variable annuity and the asset allocation within the product. The online tool provides a printout of the completed workbook for the adviser or client’s records.

Never miss a story — sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters to keep up on the latest retirement plan adviser news.

Advisers can also send a one-page “fact finder” to the Income Planning Desk at Nationwide to get an IncomeInsight analysis.

To learn more about the IncomeInsight strategy or to get an IncomeInsight analysis, advisers should contact their Nationwide wholesaler.

«