Tag: Markets

Changes in bond market conditions and institutional portfolio strategies are driving the largest U.S. investors to add more exchange-traded funds (ETFs)—especially those built on fixed-income investments.

The Massachusetts Securities Division is looking into how many 401(k) plan sponsors have moved to paying deferral matching contributions annually.

Unprotected pensions, loss of retiree health care benefits and reduced Social Security payments worry retirees.

Mercer introduced a multi-country third-party insurer buyout pricing study.

A joint survey from four retirement industry advocacy groups, released as part of America Saves Week, finds improving macroeconomic conditions haven’t reversed widespread savings challenges.

Media and information services firm Thomson Reuters says it has significantly enhanced its Eikon analytics desktop product to better serve asset managers and financial advisers.

Research from financial analytics firm Cerulli Associates shows the individual retirement account (IRA) market could surpass $9 trillion in total assets over the next four years.

John Hancock Investments is seeing defined contribution (DC) retirement plan clients add alternative mutual funds to their menu of investment options at a rapid pace.

Institutional investors working with Towers Watson more than doubled asset flows moving into “smart beta” strategies last year, reaching $11 billion of inflows in 2013.

Five mutual funds from BlackRock Inc. seek to deliver a total return that tracks the expected median cost of lifetime income.

New analysis from State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) shows smart beta strategies, designed to take advantage of both active and passive investing principals, are gaining popularity.

Overall retirement income adequacy for Baby Boomers and Generation X households improved last year.

Financial services provider Fidelity Investments finds the average 401(k) balance has continued to increase, ending the fourth quarter of 2013 at a record high of $89,300.

The Towers Watson Pension Index dropped 5.1% in January.

The recent decrease in the funded status of defined benefit pension plans highlights the need for plan sponsors to possess a strategy for locking in a favorable funded...

Average daily transfer activity for defined contribution (DC) plan participants remained unchanged in January compared with the previous month, according to the Aon Hewitt 401(k) Index.

Large corporate pension plans lost asset values and gained liabilities during January, resulting in a decrease in overall funded status.

Corporate employers have largely favored lump sum offerings as a means to settle pension liabilities, but changing market conditions could buck the trend this year.

Putnam Investments is putting more emphasis on investment strategies that can help financial advisers and their clients pursue strong, risk-adjusted performance in volatile markets.

Fidelity Financial Advisor Solutions, a unit of Fidelity Investments that provides mutual funds and other investment services, released an interactive calculator that helps financial professionals build fixed-income portfolios.