Bull and Bear Market Fundamentals for Participants
All too often, participants are focused on what markets have done in the last several months or years, and they get away from remembering the basics of long-term...
Tag: Markets
Fixed Indexed Annuity Sales Spiked in Second Quarter
Sales of fixed indexed annuities came in 21% higher for the second quarter of 2018 compared with the first quarter results, according to LIMRA SRI data, shattering the...
Strong One-Year Performance Posted by Pensions
Continuing the trend from the first quarter, corporate retirement funds and health care plans lagged during Q2 2018, according to BNY Mellon data.
Demand for Private Debt Creates Crowded Market
Institutional investors’ interest in mid-market corporate direct lending is driving large capital flows into a squeezed portion of the market, according to Willis Towers Watson, resulting in downward...
Fixed Income Favored in 401(k) Trades During June
According to the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index, June was a slow month for trading in defined contribution plans; when 401(k) investors made trades, they tended to favor fixed...
ESG Fund Performance Goes Under Cerulli’s Microscope
As an investment professional or a client, there are a lot of reasons to feel positive about the topic of environmental and socially minded investing, but new Cerulli...
J.P. Morgan Retirement Leader Examines Sequence of Returns Risk in TDF Context
The latest though leadership from the firm asks an increasingly important question: “What should the TDF glide path look like as participants move from accumulating asset balances to...
Smart Beta Demand Favors Multi-Factor Approach
Data shared by FTSE Russell, taken from the firm’s annual smart beta survey, suggests the use of “multi-factor combination smart beta index-based investment strategies” by institutional investors has...
Opportunities Exist, But Future of CITs in 403(b) Plans Remains Murky
Higher education clients with very large 403(b) plans could theoretically benefit from new laws or regulations allowing them to invest participant assets through collective trust vehicles, but for...
Millennials Increasingly Embrace Roth and Traditional IRAs
The percentage of people who contributed to their Fidelity IRA in Q1 2018 increased 14% over a year ago; among Millennials, IRA contributions increased even more.
‘Dilution’ Can Derail Outperformance in Institutional Factor-Based Portfolios
In conversation with PLANADVISER, Northern Trust Asset Management’s head of quantitative research steps through some of the pros and cons of using factor-based portfolios and so called smart-beta...
Leveraging the Popularity of TDFs to Provide Retirement Income
In a Q&A with BlackRock Managing Director Anne Ackerley, PLANADVISER hears about emerging opportunities to deliver retirement income solutions to DC plan participants, including through TDFs.
Even Passive TDF Glide Path Designs Require Active Thinking
“There is no such thing as a passive glide path design, and this, as well as the many other active decisions that go into the creation and management...
Mercer TDF Analysis Highlights Passive Growth, Home Equity Bias
In its discussions with TDF managers, Mercer has found many managers say they have not aligned with the ACWI, and have continued with portfolios that display home equity...
Bond Manager Reflects on Industry Change, Increased Role of LDI
The president and CIO of Ryan Labs describes in detail the mechanics behind the firm’s new defensive bond portfolio strategy—and the way his work continues to be shaped...
Market Volatility Hasn’t Tempered Historically High DC Plan Optimism
The Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index remains at a 17-year high, despite a clear uptick in volatility, with the index at +139 in the first quarter;...
Institutional ESG Investing Can Bring Tough Reporting Questions
Highlights from a new Natixis survey suggest reporting challenges continue to rank as top hurdle for institutions implementing ESG programs; this includes the concern that public companies may...
Robo-Adviser Tech Enthusiasts Report Less Provider Trust
While they are less trusting of their advisers and providers, clients who identify as “online enthusiasts” have increased the amount of market risk they are taking.
Strategic Perspective Is a Key Commodity During Bouts of Volatility
As recently as mid-2016 it was common to hear advisers describe significant market volatility as the new normal, but since then the global equity markets have been remarkably...
Three Things Bond Fund Managers Say That Set Off Our Alarms
"In our experience, the way bond managers speak provides insight into their true thinking, underlying skills and biases," write Brett Wander and Jake Gilliam, two investing team leaders...