Week ending December 22nd, 2017 Happy Friday, PLANSPONSOR readers! This week, we’ll center on defined benefit (DB) plans. First up, with 2017 coming to a close, brush up on provider options with our Defined Benefit Administration Survey, published in the April/May edition of PLANSPONSOR. Then, read up on the recently updated mortality tables from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), applied for calendar year 2019. Next, if you’ve wondered why liability-driven investment (LDI) strategies are steadily popping up in pension plans, a new survey from Cerulli Associates can answer your question. Eighty-one percent of survey respondents indicated the top factor driving the appeal of LDI. In a different survey, Cerulli explores how economic, social and governance investing (ESG) is paving their way towards the defined benefit spectrum, and NCPERS research covers why policymakers should avoid diminishing public pensions. All this and more on this week’s edition of PLANSPONSOR Weekend. Have a great weekend, and a wonderful holiday to those celebrating!
News Research Defined Benefit Administration Survey Although published earlier this year, the end of the year can present a good opportunity to review provider options.Read more > Compliance IRS Issues Mortality Tables to Be Used for DB Plans in 2019 The updated mortality improvement rates and static tables apply for purposes of calculating the funding target and other items for valuation dates occurring during calendar year 2019.Read more > Investing More DB Plans Using LDI Strategies Eighty-one percent of pension plan professionals say funded status volatility is their top motivating factor for pursuing an LDI strategy.Read more > Investing DB Plans, Retail Investors Expected to Embrace ESG Cerulli even expects environmental, social and governance investing to become “the baseline of how portfolios are constructed.”Read more > Data and Research Public Pensions Have Been Able to Pay Promised Benefits New research shows that funding status has little correlation with a pension fund’s ability to pay its promised benefits, and NCPERS urges policymakers to stop trying to shut down public pensions.Read more >
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