
Wilmington Trust Introduces Digital CIT Onboarding Tool
Plan adviser users of the tool can automatically pull key data for the plan they are advising into the system from the data contained in the IRS Form 5500 database.

CITs Have Different Fiduciary Implications Than Mutual Funds
Speakers at a recent webinar discussed considerations for using collective investment trusts in defined contribution plans.

Asset Managers Weigh In on DC Plan Investment Trends
They foresee growth in the use of CITs, retirement income products and ESG investments.

Most Claims Move Forward in Suit Over Aon CITs in 401(k) Plan
A court refused to dismiss most claims against Aon Hewitt Investment Consultants and Centerra Group 401(k) plan fiduciaries.

Use of CITs in 401(k)s Continues Growth
Collective investment trusts dominate the large plan market, particularly within target-date funds, data shows.

Eyes on the Investment Menu
No Decision to Come in Lawsuit Over Mismanagement of TDFs
The lawsuit against Principal Global Investors and related entities was abandoned.
Another Lawsuit Challenges Use of Untested CITs in 401(k) Plan
A similar lawsuit was filed in May against an investment manager and a different plan sponsor.
Estee Lauder Faces 401(k) Plan Excessive Fee Lawsuit
The lawsuit argues that while the TDFs in the plan are CITs, they are private label CITs with much higher expense ratios than the typical CITs offered by JPMorgan.

Investment Product and Service Launches
Northern Trust and BlackRock partner on investor services and Allianz Investment Management launches new ETFs.
CITs Fit Well With Best Interest Service
Among the attractive but less-often-discussed features of collective investment trusts is the fact that the sponsoring trustee—a bank or trust company—must commit to acting in the best interest of unit holders.
Legislation Would Allow 403(b)s to Invest in CITs
The bill introduced to Congress is designed to ensure public sector and nonprofit retirement plans have the same access to low-cost investments as for-profit retirement plans do.
AllianceBernstein to Close its Mutual Fund Target-Date Series
The investment firm will be shifting all of its focus to its CIT target-date series.

Investment Product and Service Launches
Mesirow Financial presents third mutual fund and managed account program, and MSCI builds indexes to track long-term megatrends.
Advocacy Efforts for CITs Allowed in 403(b)s Underway
“We’ve heard the need for these investment options in 403(b) plans from advisers, consultants and plan sponsors for decades,” says Bruce Corcoran, managing vice president/head of 403(b) Business at ICMA-RC.
Nasdaq and Wilmington Trust to Provide Tickers for CITs
The two entities look to encourage CIT adoption among investors, a move that they say has stalled due to low awareness of the funds.

Investment Product and Service Launches
Morningstar releases goals-based planning solution; Schwab adds account conversion feature to portfolios solution; and AssetMark to offer Savos personal portfolios.
Education Among Advisers About CITs Is Needed: Cerulli
While they have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 7.25% a year in the past five years, if advisers were better educated about them and if the transparency issue could be addressed, that growth could rise significantly, according to the research firm.

Investment Product and Service Launches
Man Group releases ESG analysis tool; Prudential Capital Group renames global investment business; Schwab expands ETF OneSource Program; and more.
Index Funds Nearly Universal in Large 401(k) Plans
A BrightScope/ICI study also found collective investment trusts (CITs) accounted for a larger share of assets in larger plans than smaller plans.