Tag: target-date fund

In 2016, the average plan offered 27 investment options, according to a report from BrightScope and ICI. 

At year-end 2018, 66% of new plan entrants were enrolled via automatic enrollment.

This is driving providers to offer inexpensive options, such as series that rely on CITs and passive funds, Morningstar says.

Fidelity analyzed the balances of those who remained invested in their 401(k) in the decade following the Great Recession of 2008 and found that the balances went from $52,600 to $297,700.

And the use of 401(k) loans fell to a nine-year low of 22.5% in 2018, according to T. Rowe Price’s annual participant data benchmarking report.

Employers are offering this assistance in a variety of ways, including managed accounts, target-date funds and investment advice, according to PSCA.

While automatic enrollment gets participants into plans, a sizable segment are starting their average contributions at a minimum 3.3% rate and failing to take any additional action to increase that, according to J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

In addition, a person invested in a stable value fund versus someone invested in a target-date fund could end up with a balance as much as 59% lower, BlackRock says.

Nearly half of workers feel confident about their retirement prospects, an AllianceBernstein survey found.

Cerulli says retirement specialist advisers are becoming more knowledgeable about and comfortable with CITs, and the research firm expects CITs will continue to expand their share of 401(k) plan assets.

Fifty-two percent think they will be able to retire at their ideal retirement age, and 52% say they either somewhat or strongly agree that their savings will last throughout their lifetime.

This is despite having lived through two bear markets.

With many Boomers retiring, the research firm says the industry is at “an inflection point.”

The flows went primarily to bond, stable value and money market funds.

Employer contributions and loans are also prevalent, a Brightscope/ICI report says.

More than 82% of those from the Millennial generation, defined here as those born between 1977 and 1993, are now invested in a diversified portfolio.

In conversation with Jeff Kletti, head of investments at Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement and Trust, PLANADVISER gets an inside view of some emerging—and some familiar—defined contribution plan trends.

In total, 1.45% of total plan balances were traded during the year, down from 2.13% in 2016, as participants chased performance within their own portfolios. 

Both retirees and workers still say the best piece of guidance in helping them prepare financially for retirement is knowing how much money they will need to be financially secure.