A disconnect exists between defined contribution plan sponsors’ intentions and actions when it comes to helping employees with financial wellness, according to a new survey by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Among more than 800 U.S. DC plan sponsors, 74 per cent said they have a very or somewhat high commitment to employees’ fiscal health, although […]
While defined benefit plans are traditionally known for their paternalism, defined contribution pensions represent the next generation. Learning from their parents’ years of investment experience, DC plans are catching up, but hurdles still exist in the quest to invest like DB plans. The liquidity question As more DC plan sponsors consider adding illiquid alternatives to […]
Looks aren’t a solid basis on which to form a long-term relationship and neither is the surface-level appearance of a target-date fund. “In a perfect world, we would like our members to have a long-term relationship with a target-date fund we’re offering,” said Zaheed Jiwani, a principal at Eckler Ltd., at Benefits Canada‘s 2019 Benefits […]
With the industry focused on retirement readiness and more defined contribution plan members on glide paths, it’s increasingly important for plan sponsors to choose default investment funds suited to the present and future. Fortunately, these funds have been shifting away from their conservative roots. Money market funds, for instance, were once a common default in […]
Looking at the role of plan design in driving member outcomes, it comes down to data and experience, according to Margaret Rux, principal and department head of retirement plan client services at the Vanguard Group., at Benefits Canada’s 2019 DC Plan Summit in Banff, Alta. in February. Capturing data from five million members and more […]
Simplifying DC plan enrolment should begin by eliminating the “tyranny of choice,” making it easier for plan members to just get started, according to Tom Reid, senior vice-president of group retirement services at Sun Life Financial. “We’re not saying choice is bad, but at certain moments choice is really not the most welcome thing and […]
The U.S. customized target-date fund market grew to US$430 billion at the end of 2017, according to the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association. The DCIIA’s inaugural survey on the market, which included data from 65 plans with a total of 673 different funds, found the majority of these funds are allocated to a mix of equities and fixed income. […]
There are major differences between what defined contribution plan sponsors are trying to communicate to members and what members hear, according to a new study by Invesco. “We believe a disconnect remains between what plan sponsors say and what participants hear,” said John Galateria, managing director and head of North America institutionals at Invesco, in a press […]
The traditional move away from equities to fixed income over a target-date fund’s glide path is too simplistic to produce optimal outcomes for members, according to Neil Walton. Speaking at the 2018 Defined Contribution Investment Forum in Toronto in September, Walton, head of investment solutions in the portfolio solutions group at Schroders Investment Management, told […]
Ensuring a glide path’s asset allocation is correct is really important since it’s going to be managing the bulk of positions for so many defined contribution plan members, according to Ruthann Pritchard, speaking at the 2018 Defined Contribution Investment Forum in Toronto in September. While the level of equity within the glide path at any given moment […]