The Markets

Investors can expect more broad-based and self-sustaining recovery next year as economic conditions in the U.S. and Europe continue to improve, new analysis shows.

Both defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) plans can benefit from outsourcing chief investment officer functions, says Debra Woida, delegated investment services head at Towers Watson.

The funded status of the typical U.S. corporate pension plan in November improved 2.1 percentage points to 93.9%.

Accounting for the source of funded ratio increases within defined benefit (DB) plans is critical for preventing imprudent fixed-income purchases, new research shows.

The cost of purchasing pension annuities from insurers fell to 108.3% of liabilities during October, down from 108.9% to reach the smallest margin measured in 2013.

Socially responsible investing is no longer just a matter of screening out companies with interests in the “big five” industries—alcohol, tobacco, gambling, pornography and firearms.

The American Benefits Council wants to clarify possible misconceptions surrounding deficit information from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).

The annual report of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) puts the agency’s deficit at about $36 billion for the 2013 fiscal year.

The value for the Dietrich Pension Risk Transfer Index has increased since October.

The Aon Hewitt 401(k) Index showed six days of above-normal daily transfer activity during the month of October.

Equity funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are on track to attract $450 billion in 2013.

Fidelity Investments says the average balance of its 401(k) plan accounts rose to a record high of $84,300 at the end of the third quarter.

The 401(k) market’s annual growth rate is holding at 9% and could push total assets beyond $4.2 trillion next year, a report from Ignites Retirement Research shows.

U.S. exchange-traded funds (ETFs) posted more than $26.6 billion of inflows during the month of October, increasing year-to-date inflows to $152.9 billion.

Defined benefit pension plans that are less funded invest more aggressively, according to an analysis by Towers Watson.

Estimated mutual fund inflows for October set the highest monthly pace measured since January, with U.S. equity funds collecting $10.5 billion in new assets.

A strategy that is more than 50 years old, smart beta is receiving new attention as investors seek alternatives to passive, index-based asset management.

Returns for target-date and target-risk funds were around 5% for the third quarter, according to Morningstar, Inc.

There has been much discussion about moving away from fixed income investments as a response to rising interest rates, but this may not be necessary, a study suggests.

Improved corporate efficiency and earnings margins helped drive markets to record highs in 2013, but a number of trends could shift equity...