22
Apr 2019Classification Confusion: Understanding Equity Style
Retirement plans aim to offer a concise, yet diversified, set of investment options. Understanding equity style is vital to building a defined contribution investment menu that allows participants to create portfolios that reflect their investment preferences.
Read more18
Mar 2019The Defined Benefit (DB) Lawsuits: Why There May Be Widespread Implications
Several lawsuits have been filed recently claiming that the use of outdated mortality tables led to lower retirement pension plan benefit payments. While these suits were filed against large corporate plan sponsors, they could have far-reaching consequences
Read more18
Mar 2019403(b) Retirement Plan Fee Litigation: An Update
More than 20 private universities and five healthcare systems have been sued over retirement plan fees since 2016, making fee litigation an important topic for retirement plan sponsors. We review the common claims of the suits and provide an update on the status of each.
Read more18
Mar 2019Chart of the Month: Year-to-Date Recovery from Q4 2018 Sell-Off
Source: Morningstar Market Observations Risk assets have staged a remarkable rebound in 2019, with many asset classes erasing three quarters or more of the losses they experienced in the 4th quarter of 2018. While many of the factors contributing to the panic driven sell-off late last year remain …
Read more18
Mar 2019Trends in Target Date Fund Investing
With the adoption and popularity of target date funds (TDFs) on the rise, the diversity of offerings have grown. We explore the new world of TDFs, the emergence of trends and what retirement plan sponsors can expect to see in the future.
Read more25
Feb 2019Permissible Plan Expenses: What Can Plan Sponsors Pay from Retirement Plan Assets?
With the increased focus and litigation surrounding retirement plan fees, plan sponsors need to pay keen attention to any expenses paid from their retirement plan's assets to ensure they are permissible.
Read more25
Feb 2019Investors Looking to Take Advantage of Rising Money Market Yields Beware: Equity Wash Rules May Apply
Retirement plan participants who wish to take advantage of the recent rise in money market yields may discover that they are blocked from transferring assets from a stable value fund into a money market fund by equity wash rules.
Read more25
Feb 2019Using Financial Wellness to Attract and Retain Employees
Healthcare organizations typically have high turnover and high demand, and thus, attracting and retaining employees is paramount. How can retirement plan sponsors use financial wellness programs - and their retirement plans - to set their organizations apart?
Read more25
Feb 2019Chart of the Month: Record Flows Into Passive Investments
Since the global financial crisis, there has been a significant shift in flows from actively managed to passively managed funds. While the preference for low-cost passive funds will likely persist, volatile markets and concerns about a potential correction may begin to slow this trend.
Read more23
Jan 2019Chart of the Month: The Fed’s Pace of Tightening Ramped up Considerably in 2018
Market Observations The Fed’s path to normalizing interest rates after a prolonged period of near-zero rates started out slow, but the pace of monetary tightening has ramped up considerably over the last year. Liquidity in the financial markets rapidly started to disappear in the 4th quarter, as …
Read more