Products March 11, 2008

Thrivent Funds Offer International Investing and Inflation Protection

Thrivent Asset Management has launched two new mutual funds to offer investors access to diversified international investing and to help protect investors in retirement from inflation.
Reported by

A Thrivent press release said the Thrivent Partner Worldwide Allocation Fund invests in several different asset classes, including:

  • International large cap growth equities: 30%,
  • International large cap value equities: 30%,
  • Small and mid cap international equities: 15%,
  • Emerging markets equities: 15%, and
  • Emerging market debt: 10%.

The fund is subadvised by five firms known for their international investing expertise: Principal Global Investors and Mercator Asset Management (large cap growth and large cap value asset classes), Goldman Sachs (emerging market debt), Victory Capital Management (small cap international) and Aberdeen Asset Management (emerging markets).

For more stories like this, sign up for the PLANADVISERdash daily newsletter.

The Thrivent Equity Income Plus Fund is an equity fund that aims to help protect investors in retirement from inflation. According to the press release, the fund invests in domestic and international dividend-paying stocks, preferred stocks, and domestic and international real estate investment trusts. The fund is managed by David Spangler and Kevin Brimmer of Thrivent Asset Management.

The Thrivent Partner Worldwide Allocation Fund and Thrivent Equity Income Plus Fund are offered through Thrivent Financial’s network of 2,600 registered representatives.

More information can be found at www.thrivent.com.

Products March 11, 2008

ING Releases 403(b) Plan Documents

ING has announced it is making available 403(b) plan documents public schools can adopt to meet the new IRS 403(b) requirements by January 1, 2009.
Reported by

The new 403(b) regulations included a requirement that all 403(b) programs have a written plan in place, including those from public schools. The IRS released model plan language guidance in November 2007 (See IRS Offers Model 403(b) Plan Language for Public Schools).

However, according to Linda Segal Blinn, ING’s Vice President of Technical Services, the ING documents go beyond the model language. “The ING 403(b) Plan has the flexibility to let public schools tailor their plan document to meet their needs,” she said in a press release.

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

In addition, a sponsor that notifies ING that it has adopted the ING Plan language will automatically be sent any updates to that plan necessitated by statutory or regulatory changes, the announcement said.

Public schools can obtain the ING 403(b) plan document and other tools to help make complying with the regulations easier by visiting www.ing.com/us/403bregs or by contacting their local representative.

«