Investment Product and Service Launches

Art by Jackson Epstein

CUNA Mutual Adds Stadion Managed Account Service to Platform

CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions has added Stadion Money Management’s StoryLine managed account service to its retirement recordkeeping platform. The service will provide CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions’ adviser partners, plan sponsors and third-party administrators (TPAs) additional investment flexibility while helping plan participants save for their future. 

StoryLine is a professionally managed investment service that provides customization at the plan level based on employee demographics and a personalized investment allocation tailored to participants based on their individual characteristics and risk tolerance. StoryLine offers participants an easy-to-use experience, including enrollment support and ongoing communications.

“More plan sponsors today are offering managed account services to help participants achieve retirement readiness, and we are pleased to add StoryLine to our firm’s offering,” says Paul Chong, Senior Vice President of CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions. “Our mission is to help people achieve retirement on their terms. This new service allows us to create a customer experience that differentiates us in the market, while delivering innovative solutions to help participants make the right investment decisions for their personal situation,”

MSCI Creates New Fixed Income Indexes

MSCI Inc. has launched the MSCI Fixed Income ESG Indexes and the MSCI Fixed Income Factor Indexes.

Jana Haines, head of Index Products, Americas, at MSCI comments, “We are pleased to bring next generation fixed income indexes to market. Investors are increasingly demanding ESG integration across all asset classes and looking to Factors—such as Carry, Quality, Value, Size and Risk—to more precisely define how they can better identify, measure and manage risk and return in their portfolios.”

The MSCI Fixed Income ESG Indexes and Factor Indexes include: Issuance Weighted—MSCI USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond Index; ESG—MSCI USD IG ESG Universal Corporate Bond Index and MSCI USD IG ESG Leaders Corporate Bond Index; and multiple Factor indexes including MSCI USD IG Carry High Exposure Corporate Bond Index; MSCI USD IG Low Risk High Exposure Corporate Bond Index; MSCI USD IG Quality High Exposure Corporate Bond Index; and more.

Transamerica Decreases Fees on Two High Yield Bonds

Transamerica has reduced fees on two of its bond funds, effective as of January 6. The reductions on the Transamerica High Yield Bond fund and Transamerica Aegon High Yield Bond VP total up to 12 basis points annually and impact $1.8 billion in combined assets.

“These latest fee reductions can help our mutual fund, variable annuity, and retirement investors put more of their money to work as they plan for the future,” says Tom Wald, chief investment officer for Transamerica Asset Management, Inc. “We’re pleased that these new fee structures can help investors best achieve their goals.”

The funds and share classes experiencing the fee reduction include: Transamerica High Yield Bond – Class A (IHIYX); Transamerica High Yield Bond – Class C (INCLX); Transamerica High Yield Bond – Class I (TDHIX); Transamerica High Yield Bond – Class R (TAHRX); Transamerica High Yield Bond – Class R4 (TAHFX); Transamerica High Yield Bond – Class R6 (TAHBX); Transamerica High Yield Bond – Class I3 (TAHTX); Transamerica Aegon High Yield Bond VP – Initial Class; and Transamerica Aegon High Yield Bond VP – Service Class.

Pacific Global Adds Floating-Rate Loan ETF

Pacific Global ETFs, one of Pacific Life’s family of funds, announced the addition of a floating-rate loan exchanged-traded fund (ETF) to its lineup.

Pacific Global Senior Loan ETF (NYSE: FLRT) is an actively managed fund designed to produce income from floating-rate loans (also known as senior loans) and floating-rate debt securities.

“We believe that passive management is an inefficient strategy for floating-rate loan funds,” says Anthony J. Dufault, managing director of Pacific Global ETFs. “Our experienced team of fixed-income professionals seeks to add value by carefully selecting highly liquid, floating-rate loans of non-investment-grade companies.”

Pacific Global ETFs recently completed the adoption of AdvisorShares’ Pacific Asset Enhanced Floating Rate ETF. Shareholders voted to approve its merger and reorganization into Pacific Global Senior Loan ETF at the end of 2019. The fund’s existing assets and its nearly four-year track record have transitioned to Pacific Global Senior Loan ETF. Pacific Asset Management, which manages over $4.5 billion in floating-rate loan strategies, continues to manage the ETF as its sub-advisor.

For more information about Pacific Global ETFs, visit www.pacificglobaletfs.com.