Product & Service Launches

Bernstein Introduces PEP for Small, Midsized Businesses

Bernstein Private Wealth Management, a unit of AllianceBernstein L.P., launched the Bernstein PEP, a pooled employer plan designed for small to midsize businesses and private equity firms.

Bernstein serves as the 3(38) investment adviser, Empower as the recordkeeper and the National Professional Planning Group as the pooled plan provider.

Bernstein had $144 billion in assets under management as of June 30.

Nationwide Adds PEP to RetireAssist Suite

Nationwide Retirement Solutions added Nationwide RetireAssist Connect, a pooled employer plan, to its RetireAssist suite.

The plan provides investment choices through Nationwide’s fund window, individualized pricing, full 3(16) and 3(38) fiduciary services, a single Form 5500, shared audit costs and end-to-end support.

Nationwide serves as the recordkeeper, custodian and corporate trustee for Nationwide RetireAssist Connect. Kovitz Investment Group Partners is the 3(38) investment fiduciary, Fiduciary Wise is the pooled plan provider for 402(a), and Strongpoint is the plan administrator.

Nationwide Retirement Solutions administers nearly 32,000 retirement plans with nearly $200 billion in assets for more than 2.7 million participants.

Transamerica, Fiducient Advisors Launch 403(b) PEP

Transamerica Corp. and Fiducient Advisors LLC launched the Fiducient Advisors 403(b) Pooled Employer Plan, which will take effect on January 1, 2026. Starting this month, Fiducient Advisors is introducing the PEP to nonprofit organizations and other 403(b) plan sponsors.

Transamerica will serve as the recordkeeper and administrator, Fiducient Advisors will serve as 3(38) investment manager, and Transamerica Fiduciary Services will serve as the pooled plan provider, 3(16) plan administrator and named fiduciary.

The Fiducient Advisors 403(b) PEP is available to 403(b) plans across sectors.

State Street Launches Treasury Bill ETF

State Street Investment Management expanded its exchange-traded-fund suite by launching the State Street SPDR Portfolio Ultra Short T-Bill ETF. The new fund, which costs 5 basis points, provides exposure to U.S. Treasury bills that have a remaining maturity ranging from 1 month to 12 months.

Funds in the State Street SPDR Portfolio Treasury suite include SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF; SPDR Portfolio Intermediate Term Treasury ETF; SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF; and SPDR Portfolio Treasury ETF.

As of September 24, the funds had amassed more than $323 billion in assets.