As Volatility Slowed in January, so Did Trading Activity
It was the slowest start to the year in the 20-plus years of the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index.
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Liquidity Buckets and Other Strategies to Protect Boomers’ Savings
Building sources of near- and mid-term liquidity is increasingly important for Baby Boomers.
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Managed Account QDIA Mechanics Challenge Plan Sponsor Clients
ERISA attorneys and plan design consultants say they are hearing more questions from sponsors about using managed accounts as a plan’s default investment, but the most common use case remains opt-in managed accounts.
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Gen Xers Should Consider Sequence of Returns Risk
The recent bouts of equity market volatility highlight the importance of balancing portfolio growth aspirations with the need to protect what has already been accumulated; Generation X faces a difficult task in balancing short- and long-term financial priorities.
Plan Sponsors Have Questions About Dynamic Default Investments
Progressive plan design features take time to catch on, including the emerging “hybrid QDIA” approach that pairs TDFs and managed accounts; experts say plan sponsors are interested, but they remain unsure about the right way to design and deliver a dynamic default investment.
Lockheed Martin Announces Pension Risk Transfer
In December 2018, certain of the corporation's pension plans used pension trust assets to purchase group annuity contracts from insurance companies for $2.6 billion.
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For Millennials, Market Volatility Can Bring Opportunity
While workers with nearer retirement dates fret stock market volatility, Millennials have the chance to buy discounted shares and enjoy compounding returns.
Optimal Number of 401(k) Investment Categories Between 12 and 20 Study Says
Offering fewer than 12 categories may mean participants are not being given sufficient opportunity to diversify, and offering more than 20 could lead to lower average investment in each fund, which may cause higher fees, ERISApedia.com says.
Retirement Plan Investments Should Be Low-Cost and Not Overlap
These are just a couple of the tips Conrad Siegel offers for retirement plan investment lineups.
Market Effects on Pension Funded Status Give Reason to Review Investment Strategies
“Looking forward to 2019, we think many plan sponsors will continue to explore risk transfer activities as well as review their investment policies to ensure they are aligned with an evolving market environment,” says Scott Jarboe, a partner in Mercer’s Wealth business.
Alight Solutions 401(k) Index Shows Busy Trading Year for 2018
On the one hand, participants were very active during the year, with 46 days of above-normal daily transfer activity; on the other hand, net trades in 2018 amounted to only 1.42% of total plan balances, making 2018 a record low year for trading volume.
Fiduciary Training Needed by Nonprofit Clients
Findings in a new CAPTRUST survey report suggest there may be opportunities for advisers to support board-level investment and fiduciary training at endowments and foundations.
Investment Managers Foresee a Bumpy Upward Ride in 2019
Despite a global economic slowdown and increased trade tensions, most major asset managers are not predicting an imminent recession—instead they are urging clients to embrace diversification and stick to long-term strategies.
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This Plan Sponsor Is All-In on ESG TDFs
Many plan sponsors fear being a trendsetter, but United World College-USA is proud of using ESG investing themes in its custom target-date QDIA, built with TIAA and LongView Asset Management, and offering a guaranteed retirement income solution.
Ways to Talk to Participants About Equity Market Volatility
Aside from ensuring diversification, plan advisers can help refocus participants on their respective time horizons, whether it’s a Millennial looking at retirement 30 years down the line, or a Baby Boomer hoping to retire in the near term.
Yale Says 403(b) Plan Changes Not a Result of Ongoing Litigation
The university has pared down to 11 investment options in its 403(b) plan.
IRIC Expects Retirement Income Focus Throughout 2019
DC plans are well positioned to significantly add to American’s financial security by adopting retirement income solutions that are currently available in the market today.
Charles Schwab Equity and Bond CIOs Don’t See Likely Recession
Omar Aguilar and Brett Wander agree that global growth is likely to slow some in 2019 and that volatility will persist as liquidity decreases, but they contest the idea that downturn is on the horizon.
Active Management Insights from Putnam CEO Bob Reynolds
As the firm launches a new initiative to educate investors about active management opportunities, Putnam CEO Bob Reynolds says he is optimistic that an improved retirement landscape will take shape in 2019.
November Was a Typical Month for Trading in 401(k) Plans
There were only three days of above-normal trading, according to the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index