Plan participants play it cool amid crisis
April 20, 2009 01:00:00 AMThe ongoing market crisis hasn't changed the behavior of defined contribution plan participants, according to DC experts like Shlomo Benartzi at UCLA.
Plans look to add capital preservation, survey shows
April 06, 2009 01:00:00 AMNearly two-thirds of consultants said their defined contribution plan clients will add either a Treasury or government money market fund to emphasize capital preservation and risk management, according to a new survey.
Borzi strong on DC fee disclosure issue
April 06, 2009 01:00:00 AMPhyllis C. Borzi will take a tougher line on DC plan fee disclosure and advice issues, taking on the powerful mutual fund industry, if she is confirmed as assistant secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
Deferral rate a recession victim
March 23, 2009 01:00:00 AMDefined contribution plan participants are cutting their contributions as day-to-day cash needs take center stage for more people.
Market fiasco puts premium on saving
February 23, 2009 12:00:00 AMDefined contribution plan professionals say getting participants to save enough to ensure an adequate income at retirement is more critical than ever because of the market meltdown that wiped out huge chunks of DC plan balances.
Themed programs stand out in Eddys
February 23, 2009 12:00:00 AMIncreasing employee contributions and deferral rates and introducing target-date funds were central goals of many of the winning campaigns in this year's Eddy Awards.
A future full of change
February 09, 2009 12:00:00 AMThe devastation defined contribution plans suffered in last year's market mayhem is expected to lead to major changes in plan design and asset allocation, as well as increased emphasis on retirement income, industry professionals say.
Stable value managers stay safe
December 22, 2008 12:00:00 AMStable value managers are hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.
Increase in outsourcing opens up new frontier
December 08, 2008 12:00:00 AMOutsourced assets are expected to exceed $500 billion in the next three years, creating a broad pool of cash for both traditional and alternative asset managers to tap, according to a new research paper.
Annuity investors watch insurers
December 08, 2008 12:00:00 AMRetirement plan executives are worried that some big insurance companies wonÂ’t be able to pay claims on the annuity products sold to benefit plans.
Special Report: Top-performing fixed income managers
November 10, 2008 12:00:00 AMPortfolio managers who remained invested in long government securities, expecting lower interest rates and a stagnant U.S. economy, were the leaders in fixed-income performance for the year ended Sept. 30.
Plans aren't pushing panic button on investment options
October 27, 2008 01:00:00 AMDefined contribution plan executives are sticking with their investment options, even as plan participants continue to shovel money out of equities and into stable value and other fixed-income-heavy strategies.
Dissapointing performance hits 2010 target-date funds
October 13, 2008 01:00:00 AMDB plan funding and DC allocations steady
September 29, 2008 01:00:00 AMDefined benefit plan funding levels are expected to be stable in the third quarter despite the current financial crisis, while defined contribution plan participants seem to be staying the course.
Securitization poised to bring life to death bonds
September 15, 2008 01:00:00 AMPension fund executives might turn to securitized life-settlement policies for their liability-driven investment strategies, filling the gap in the market for long-duration bonds.
Grail poised to jump into DC market with ETFs
September 01, 2008 01:00:00 AMGrail Advisors, an SEC registered company partly owned by merchant bank Grail Partners, intends to enter the defined contribution market by offering actively managed transparent equity exchange-traded funds.
Institutions wading into frontier markets
September 01, 2008 01:00:00 AMInstitutional investors have pumped $4.4 billion into frontier markets since the beginning of 2007, the result of a one-two combination of low global correlation and above-average returns.
Bond specialists see opportunity in the Fannie, Freddie tumult
July 21, 2008 01:00:00 AMMoney managers are buying Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities because they believe the market has overreacted to the agencies' financial woes.
Moody's backs LDI, warnsof counterparty risk
July 21, 2008 01:00:00 AMMoody's Investors Service gave its seal of approval to liability-driven investment strategies, but raised concerns about counterparty risk when pension funds use synthetics to extend the duration of their bond portfolios.
Prescient experts saw gloom on horizon
July 07, 2008 01:00:00 AMA month ago, a Pensions & Investments round table of investment experts predicted that the credit crunch is far from over. Today, their warnings of further carnage are ringing true.
Olympic glow already fading
July 07, 2008 01:00:00 AMDB plans jump on LDI bandwagon
June 23, 2008 01:00:00 AM