The nations 100 largest corporate pension sponsors saw their defined benefit plan assets drop 12% in 2001, while the combined assets of their retirement plans fell 5%, according to the Committee on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets annual survey of its members. The nations largest corporate defined benefit plan sponsors had 61% of their defined benefit plans invested in equities, and 64% of defined contribution plan assets. "The turmoil in the financial markets has certainly had an impact on retirement plans, said Robert Angelica, CIEBA chairman and CEO of AT&T Investment Management.
The combined assets of the top 100 plans still exceed $1 trillion, the survey said.