Pensions & Investments has launched its annual survey of the 1,000 largest retirement plans in the U.S.
P&I has published a special report based on this survey annually since 1974. The data gathered on a year that has experienced rebounding public markets amid high interest rates and inflation will inform stories by the staff on the latest trends in defined benefit and defined contribution investing in the Feb. 12, 2024, issue.
Questionnaires are sent to more than 1,300 plan sponsors in P&I's database. The largest 1,000 will be identified in the coming months from completed questionnaires, follow-up phone calls and emails, and database searches.
Plan sponsors with combined U.S. pension and DC plan assets of $1.3 billion or more are eligible. To request a survey or obtain further information, please contact Anthony Scuderi at [email protected] or 212-210-0140, or visit pionline.com/section/surveys.
The survey generally covers the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2023. In cases where no information is provided from the plan sponsor, or the data is older than June 30, 2023, P&I will calculate estimates to Sept. 30.
For the first time this year, P&I has added four open-ended questions to the end of its survey to gather current thoughts from industry leaders on areas such as ESG and sustainable investing, artificial intelligence, and where the best investment opportunities lie amid volatile markets and a potentially looming recession.
Other new additions to the survey include adding private credit to the DB asset allocation; breaking up "energy" investments into fossil fuel energy and renewable energy; and a breakdown of real estate investments by core, core-plus, value-added and opportunistic. Plan sponsors are also being asked to provide the tickers of the largest ETFs in their portfolios.
On the defined contribution side, "other retirement income option" has been added as a choice within target-date funds, assets in real estate equity was added and specifications on any kind of stand-alone retirement income option is now part of the survey.
The 2023 report, published in February, is available online at pionline.com/sponsors23.
