Investing

Volatility and geopolitical challenges aside, experts at one ERISA-focused law firm are hearing more frequent inquiries from qualified U.S. retirement plans about investing in domestic Chinese markets.

Strategic Insight data shows long-term mutual funds and exchange-traded products secured significantly stronger inflows in October.

The effect of interest rate movements on insurers' portfolios has implications for retirement plan investments.

Global equity returns weighed heavily on the median returns for all plan types in the third quarter, according to Wilshire Associates.

“Understanding how risk factors into your plan can help build financial confidence,” says Marcy Keckler, with Ameriprise Financial.

However, Corporate ERISA plans were the relative best performer among plan types last quarter.

Often, investment jargon is designed to market and not to inform, says Segal Rogerscasey’s CIO Tim Barron.

Fortune 1000 companies with frozen pension plans went conservative in 2014, while open plans took a bit more risk.

University researchers found institutional investors using concentrated investment strategies fared better than more diversified investors.

A white paper discusses some of the ways plan sponsors can put alternative assets into a DC plan.

Several large-volume retirement plan providers have recently published research highlighting strong performance in clients’ managed accounts.

Your plan’s target-date funds may be affected by changing exposures to international stocks and bonds.

“Cost is not dispositive of prudence,” says Eugene Maloney with Federated Investors.

Investment managers surveyed by Northern Trust have changed their views since the second quarter.

But it does make sense to revisit risk tolerance.

A quarterly update from BlackRock shows estimated cost of future retirement income rose slowly but steadily in the third quarter.

Investor demand for international equity offerings tumbled again, attracting just $3.8 billion in September, according to Strategic Insight.

The features of cash balance plans that make them easier to understand and make costs more predictable also create challenges for investing plan assets.

Cerulli Associates finds “fiduciary fears” are supporting flows into lower-cost, passive products, but many plan sponsors...

A prudently selected default investment can solve real problems and help plan sponsors feel more confident in automatically enrolling their participants.