Products July 2, 2012

Guardian Rolls Out 401(k) Fee Disclosure Website

The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company Inc. (GIAC) unveiled a website to help plan sponsors and plan participants navigate the 401(k) marketplace.

 

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“Understanding Plan Fees” provides information and tools to help plan participants and plan sponsors understand their retirement plan fees, the services they pay for and the value the different service providers bring to the table.

The website includes a host of tools and educational resources, including: high-level information on the new fee disclosure rules; descriptions of various service providers and specialists associated with the administration of 401(k) plans and what they do; interactive annotated statements and comparative charts to help participants understand and better comprehend the information they will receive; definitions of key terms plan sponsors and participants will need to know; and general retirement planning education and tips.

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“Simply providing a statement without any explanation has the potential to confuse and frustrate plan participants,” said Jason Frain, Vice President, 401(k) Product Management and Development, Retirement Solutions. “Guardian’s website educates the consumer by providing information on not only the fees they are paying but the services and value that different players involved in administering a 401(k) provide.”

The website is here.

 

Products July 2, 2012

Wilshire Launches Compass Portal for 2Q Database Updates

Wilshire Associates Incorporated rolled out the Wilshire Compass Portal, an enhanced Web-based investment manager questionnaire that populates its PC-based fund management tool, Wilshire Compass.
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The evolution of investment strategies from public markets into new market segments, such as private equity, private real estate, target-date funds and risk-parity strategies, necessitates questionnaires designed specifically to each unique investment process, according to Julia Bonafede, president of Wilshire Consulting. The tool gives consultants and plan sponsors greater insight into their strategies, she said.

Charles Stunkard, managing director of Wilshire Associates, said the Wilshire Compass Portal is a revamped and rebranded version of Wilshire Odyssey. “We will be collecting new information online, including manager biographies, organizational charts, and other information that investment managers will be asked to upload,” Stunkard said. “We also will be integrating the manager research due-diligence questionnaires into the new website to provide managers with one point of contact in providing Wilshire Associates the information needed to evaluate and score the investment management firm and their products.”

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Wilshire collects information on more than 33,000 investment products. 

Recently, Wilshire added qualitative evaluations to Wilshire Compass Monitor, which will allow fund sponsors to further leverage off the work Wilshire is doing and combine it with in-house investment expertise. 

Wilshire Compass combines Wilshire’s databases with investment technology developed at the firm over the past 40 years. The Wilshire Compass allows users to address numerous aspects of a disciplined investment process, including:

• Formulate investment policy and implement strategies;

• Monitor and evaluate asset class and total fund performance and risk;

• Develop asset-allocation and rebalancing recommendations;

• Select and evaluate investment managers; and

• Analyze and optimize manager teams.

Wilshire Compass analytics can be tailored to fit the user’s individual investment process. The product is supported by investment professionals who provide user training and consultative support.

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