The Markets

Speakers at the PLANSPONSOR National Conference discuss what investment committee members should know to help their plans perform optimally.

Wells Fargo released its Retirement Optimism Index, which offers insight into what retirees and non-retirees think about the current interest rate environment and what’s to come.

Speakers at the 2017 PLANSPONSOR National Conference said changes may be coming to spur more creative lifetime income products and solutions for retirement plans.

Even with more innovative approaches to building menus, the experts agreed that workers today “will not be able to invest their way out of the major challenges they...

The growth of 4.67% is the highest quarterly bump for the index since the end of 2013.

In this year’s survey by Cerulli Associates, platform consolidation regained its place as the top priority of managed account providers.

Morningstar found for allocation funds, the do-nothing portfolio, such as TDFs, and investor returns were nearly identical and both were ahead of the average fund.

Exchange-traded funds remain a marginal part of the DC retirement plan market, but recent product evolution on the fixed-income side could change that.

Their assets have been increasing 14.4% per year, according to DST.

In the midst of ongoing litigation regarding excessive fees, plan sponsors need an understanding of the different fund share classes available and how they affect fee structure. 

Investors widely report that a particular life event, such as a marriage or a child being born, prompted the first use of a managed account. 

Prudential Financial says adding guaranteed income solutions in defined contribution (DC) plans can help reduce the amount participants would need to save by as much as 36%.

Morningstar reports investors paid record low fund fees for mutual funds and ETFs in 2016. 

 

As the Federal Reserve nears its dual mandate of maximum employment and price stability, there are increasing concerns about inflation, even though they are still muted, according to...

In light of market rate hikes, PIMCO offers investing insight to prepare. 

In 2016, investors paid, on average, 39% less for equity mutual fund expense ratios than in 1996, according to Investment Company Institute data.

Results from an FTSE Russell survey also detail strong interest in applying environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations to smart beta.

Most advisers are optimistic about equity markets and believe the Trump administration will have a positive impact on their business, but pessimism about the bond market prevails.

J.P. Morgan’s head of target-date strategies urges plan advisers to reexamine the “critical role of fixed-income assets in target-date funds,” highlighting ways they can help clients generate stronger...

Providers are enhancing managed accounts with new features and are seeking to maximize the benefits of these solutions in order to outweigh their costs.