Frequent Participant Trading Elicits Fund Provider Response
Frequent trading by some 401(k) participants is eliciting a response from fund providers such as Vanguard and T. Rowe Price.
The Markets
Equity Mutual Funds See Strong Inflows in April
Long-term funds netted $45.2 billion in April, bringing year-to-date intake to $176 billion.
Mercer Addresses Misconceptions About DB Lump-Sum Windows
While offering lump-sum distribution windows to terminated, vested participants could reduce the liabilities of a defined benefit (DB) plan, some plan sponsors are still hesitant to use this...
SunGard Talks Drawdown Strategies
How to make sure assets last throughout retirement is a key question for advisers, and often very difficult to answer.
Expense Ratios for Equity Mutual Funds Lower
Investors paid lower average expense ratios for equity mutual funds in 2013, says a report from the Investment Company Institute (ICI).
IRS Seeks Comments About REIT Investments
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is seeking comments about the definition of real property for real estate investment trust (REIT) investments.
Institutional Investors Increasing ETF Use
The use of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by institutional investors is increasing, a study finds.
More Experienced/Affluent Share Investing Advice
Affluent investors surveyed by Legg Mason identified the decisions they made that have had a positive impact on their investment success.
Another Light Trading Month for DC Participants
Aon Hewitt’s 401(k) Index shows April was another light trading month for defined contribution (DC) plan participants.
Funded Status Deficit for Large DB Plans Grows
The funded status of the largest U.S. corporate defined benefit (DB) pension plans decreased in April, shows data from consulting and actuarial firm Milliman Inc.
Pension Outlook Weakened During April
The Towers Watson Pension Index dropped 1.2% for the month of April to reach a value of 74.3, showing a decrease in the funded status of U.S. corporate...
An April Drop in Corporate DB Funding
Funding for corporate defined benefit (DB) plans decreased in April, says an analysis from the BNY Mellon Investment Strategy and Solutions Group (ISSG).
S&P 1500 DB Plan Funding Decreases Again
The estimated funded level of defined benefit (DB) plans sponsored by S&P 1500 companies fell another 1% in April to 84%, according to Mercer.
Large Plans Fare Better During Q1
Small plans underperformed large plans for the first quarter of 2014, pulling the median return for all institutional assets tracked by the Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service (TUCS)...
Corporate Pensions Took a Funding Hit in April
The aggregate funded ratio for U.S. corporate defined benefit (DB) pension plans decreased to 86% in April, according to Wilshire Consulting.
Pension Annuitization Attractiveness Unchanged
The attractiveness of pension annuitization, as tracked by Dietrich & Associates’ Pension Risk Transfer Index, is relatively unchanged from March.
Manager Searches Show Interest in Alternatives
Data about organizations' searches for investment managers reflects a shift toward non-traditional asset mandates.
Retirement Investors Should Diversify Fixed Income
For the past 30 years, investors, including retirement plan sponsors and participants, have found comfort in fixed-income investments.
Investors Using Smart Beta in Many Ways
Investors in North America and Europe are making use of smart beta indexes in diverse ways, according to a survey from global asset manager Russell Investments.
Benefit Adequacy Hottest Retirement Benefits Issue
The hottest issue for those in the retirement benefits industry right now is benefit adequacy, according to Fred Reish.