RESEARCH |

2019
Defined Benefit Administration Survey

Seeking the Best Outcomes: DB plan sponsors continue to hunt for the ideal partner in a complex market

Reported by PLANSPONSOR | Art by Daniel Shaffer
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Introduction

Like our Recordkeeping Survey on the defined contribution side of the market, the DB Administration Survey showcases providers in the DB market—who the major players are, who they serve, what services they provide. Also included is information on overall market sizing.

John Hancock Retirement Plan Services

DB CLIENT OVERVIEW
Total DB admin clients11,170
% Full outsourcing100%
% DB and DC clientsNR
DB PLAN OVERVIEW
Total DB plans1,170
% Frozen plans2NR
% Cash balance plans60%
% PLANS, BY NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
<100 participantsNR
100 – 1,000 participantsNR
1,001 – 5,000 participantsNR
>5,000 participantsNR
DB PARTICIPANT OVERVIEW
U.S. DB participants117,853
% Private/Corporate3100%
% Public/Government0%
% Retired participantsNR
% All interactions on web95%
SPONSOR SERVICES OFFERED
Plan accounting / Master trustI
Trust and custody servicesI
Actuarial servicesI
Investment managementI
Liability-driven investingI
Investment consultingI
PARTICIPANT ONLINE SERVICES
Online initiation
Online elections
E-form processing
Online inquiry status
Online calculations4
Comparison of online calculation
I = Internal; E = External; P = Partnership; = Supports service as of publication date; NR = Not Reported in time for publication
Footnote:
1Includes both full outsourcing and partial outsourcing/co-sourcing arrangements; excludes investment-only, actuary-only and plan-consulting-only clients.
2 Includes partially frozen, soft-frozen and hard-frozen defined benefit plans.
3 Includes both single-employer and multi-employer/Taft-Hartley plans.
4 Reflects a provider's ability to provide actual/binding benefit calculations online; nearly all providers are able to offer nonbinding estimates of benefit accruals.