The Markets

The characteristics and nuances of stable value products can vary, but all offer guarantees and principal protection.

Cerulli Associates finds “fiduciary fears” are supporting flows into lower-cost, passive products, but many plan sponsors overestimate their ability to mitigate fiduciary liability through indexed investments.

Target-date funds can be an automated way to solve participant savings behaviors—unless they’re used incorrectly.

Trends in redesigning retirement plan investment menus to avoid participant inertia or overload.

Two panelists speaking at the PLANADVISER National Conference suggest liquid alternative investments present compelling opportunities in a rising interest rate environment.

Carefully thought out default investments solve real plan problems and help plan sponsors feel more confident in automatically enrolling participants into retirement plans.

A vast majority of individuals say they are open to the idea of in-plan lifetime income options, but only about one in five DC plan sponsors say they’re...

Jeffrey E. Gundlach, chief executive officer and chief investment officer for DoubleLine Capital, shares his insights on central bank policies, global markets, pockets of opportunity and stress.

In the second quarter, participant account balances in the Schwab Personal Choice Retirement Account were down 0.07% from the first quarter, but up 3.8% from June 2014.

Daily valuation and trading issues associated with illiquid asset classes do not outweigh their potential performance benefits within DC plans, an analysis finds.

Special situations funds are a kind of under-the-radar fund that usually require an invitation to participate.

The most recent market environment reinforces the need for bonds and should encourage plan sponsors to look at innovative strategies.

GIC/stable value, money market, and bond funds saw the most inflows over the month.

Bond ladders can be built to perform well in a variety of interest rate environments.

More than anything, ESG investment advocates face an image problem. 

The fit with participant characteristics especially led to the decision to use TDFs as QDIAs.

It should benefit long-term investors when interest rates start ticking up, but some distressing client circumstances could coincide with a rate hike. 

It’s both a positive and a negative sign that retirement plan participant call volume hit record levels at Empower Retirement last week. 

A majority of asset management firms are reforming share classes and approaches to fees, especially for the qualified retirement plan market. 

The last full week of August was a test of will for retirement plan participants. Many buckled under the pressure.