Tag: Markets

GIC/stable value funds led inflows during the month. 

Academic scholar and adviser to the Georgetown Center for Retirement Initiatives shares his ideas for creating state-supported “individual DBs” to bring workplace retirement benefits to more private-sector workers.

It’s rarely a good move to trade on emotion, but it does make sense to revisit risk tolerance during times of volatility.

Investor demand for international equity offerings tumbled again, attracting just $3.8 billion in September, according to Strategic Insight.

GIC/stable value, money market and bond funds again saw the most inflows over the month.

During the storms of August, Republicans dropped equities like hot potatoes and Millennials turned to a familiar source of comfort. 

Cerulli Associates finds “fiduciary fears” are supporting flows into lower-cost, passive products, but many plan sponsors overestimate their ability to mitigate fiduciary liability through indexed investments.

New products and services this week include index crediting strategies from Voya Financial and the uptake of PFaroe by NEPC.

A survey of institutional asset managers highlights persistent uncertainty and lack of preparedness around pending SEC money market reforms.

Two-thirds of all investors have been consciously reducing their debt, according to the Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index.

The most recent market environment reinforces the need for bonds and should encourage plan sponsors to look at innovative strategies.

Bond ladders can be built to perform well in a variety of interest rate environments.

It should benefit long-term investors when interest rates start ticking up, but some distressing client circumstances could coincide with a rate hike. 

It’s both a positive and a negative sign that retirement plan participant call volume hit record levels at Empower Retirement last week. 

A majority of asset management firms are reforming share classes and approaches to fees, especially for the qualified retirement plan market. 

The last full week of August was a test of will for retirement plan participants. Many buckled under the pressure.

The usual flow of retirement research and market commentary is being complemented this week by a refreshing look at the fundamentals—at the roles volatility and perception play in...

Nonetheless, they are diversifying clients’ portfolios.

They point out that volatility is the price investors pay for potential returns.

Focus on DOL’s fiduciary rulemaking is understandable—but there are other major regulatory changes in the works that will directly impact retirement plans.