A new ETF market analysis from Greenwich Associates shows institutions continue relying on ETFs as “a liquid, fast and relatively low-cost tool in a wide range of tactical tasks,” such as managing cash flows and making nimble changes to their portfolios.
Neuberger Berman Addresses Volatility with PutWrite Fund; PanAgora Adds ESG Alpha Factors; and Hartford Funds Expands ETF Roster.
In a new analysis, J.P. Morgan Asset Management describes how equities have not generally come under pressure until the U.S. two-year Treasury rate reaches above 3.5%.
The framework helps retirees address basic living expenses, establish a contingency reserve, account for discretionary expenses, and structure a legacy.
Despite an ongoing plan sponsor investment unbundling trend, the majority of TDF providers continue to construct their TDF portfolios using proprietary funds as the underlying investments.
Ryan Labs president Richard Familetti reflects on the increasingly prominent role of investment consultants in helping to shape LDI strategies and other pension plan behaviors.
Strong asset returns and an increase in voluntary contribution activity drove DB plan funded levels significantly higher over the last year; on the other side of the ledger, however, lower discount rates offset some of the gains.
While there is strong optimism concerning the equity markets and long-term growth, there is also a lack of specific planning on the key topics of income planning, Social Security optimization, health care costs and more.
Curcio Webb serves as an independent intermediary helping plan sponsors select and monitor 3(38) advisers and outsourced chief investment officers; the matchmaker firm offers some insight about what makes for a good adviser-sponsor fit.
Rather than rely on a simple 4% withdrawal rule, the new BlackRock model seeks to sustain the consumption pattern once labor income ceases.
One of the most common approaches to valuing managed account services is to compare historical investment performance with a target-date fund or similar benchmark; Empower Retirement argues there is a better approach that involves considering “an alpha-equivalent measure.”
The planner is designed to help employees better understand their stock awards and more easily integrate these stock awards into their overall financial plans.
An in-depth review of the results of the latest BlackRock Defined Contribution Pulse Survey show the largest plan sponsors continue to push for the most progressive best practices and plan designs.
Since the last study of this kind by CEM Benchmarking, average DB fund costs have increased from 0.40% to 0.60%, whereas DC plan costs have remained constant at 0.39%; overall, DB plans outperformed DC plans in the last decade by only 0.46%.
Growing contributions and a strong equity market helped propel HSA investment assets up 53% year over year during 2017; data shows employees increasingly want advice on how to invest and eventually spend HSA dollars.
Some investors cite the concern that publicly owned companies may be “greenwashing” reported data to enhance their image from the ESG investing perspective, cited by 37% in a new Natixis survey.
However, changes in the retirement landscape suggest that future retirees will face much more difficulty.
ERISA requires plan sponsors to regularly monitor investment lineups to ensure they remain prudent—a task made more complicated by the multi-layered construction of target-date funds; a new paper points to the best practices of defined benefit plans for some guidance.