Product & Service Launches

Franklin Templeton Launches XRP ETF

Franklin Templeton launched the Franklin XRP ETF, an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to the price movements of XRP, a digital asset that facilitates real-time, low-cost, cross-border payments.

The XRP ETF is structured as a grantor trust that holds XRP. Net asset value is calculated daily based on the fund’s holdings and the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate.

Coinbase Custody Trust Co. LLC serves as the product’s custodian; Bank of New York Mellon Corp. acts as administrator, transfer agent and cash custodian; and CSC Delaware Trust Co. serves as trustee.

Fidelity Introduces Roth 401(k) for Small Businesses

Fidelity Investments introduced its Roth Self-Employed 401(k) for small businesses.

The account allows self-employed individuals or small business owners with no employees besides their spouse to make after-tax, salary-deferred contributions to a Roth account with their existing Fidelity Self-Employed 401(k) plan.

“Self-employed individuals face unique challenges when planning for retirement since they are not able to leverage more traditional workplace savings options,” said Roger Morrisette, Fidelity’s vice president of small business retirement products, in a statement. “A Roth option within the 401(k) can offer greater clarity around how much savings will be available in retirement since that portion has already been taxed.”

Capital Group, KKR Develop Offerings to Broaden Access to Private Markets

Capital Group Companies Inc. and KKR & Co. announced Wednesday a partnership to develop two retirement plan offerings that broaden access to private markets.

The firms’ first solution, a target-date fund for defined contribution plans, will feature public market strategies managed by Capital Group and private market strategies managed by KKR.

Additionally, public-private model portfolios will integrate public market strategies managed by Capital Group and private market strategies managed by KKR within diversified wealth portfolios.

Vanguard Launches Core-Plus Bond Index ETF

Vanguard announced Thursday the launch of the Vanguard Core-Plus Bond Index ETF, a fixed-income exchange-traded fund designed to deliver broad, diversified exposure to the U.S. taxable bond market. The EFT is managed by Vanguard’s fixed-income group.

The new ETF seeks to track the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Float Adjusted Index, a market-value weighted benchmark that includes U.S. government, investment-grade corporate, securitized, high-yield corporate and emerging market debt. The estimated expense ratio is 0.05%.