Smart Funds Adopt New Target-Date Focus

Effective immediately, the SMART Funds will track the PLANSPONSOR On Target Indexes (OTI), a series of target-date indexes developed by TDA. The SMART Funds are a family of collective trusts formed in October, 1997.

Originally designed as a family of target-risk funds, the newly transformed SMART Funds Target Date Series will now be offered in 10-year increments: 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050.

The Smart Funds are the first target-date collective trusts that track the PLANSPONSOR On Target Indexes.

David Hand, Chief Executive Officer of Houston-based HB&T, observes “Low cost, transparency and capital preservation are rapidly becoming the cornerstones of defined contribution investing, especially qualified default investment alternatives (QDIAs), and will gradually become fiduciary imperatives. Collective trusts provide the transparency that large plan sponsors need and want, and the OTI deliver capital preservation and growth at a very competitive price. It’s an ideal marriage for us and the plan sponsor community.’