Retirement Plan Investing and Financial Issues
A Brief History of Target Date Funds
This is the first in a series of articles from Target Date Analytics, LLC that seek to explain the whats and whys of target date funds in easy-to-understand language. In this inaugural article, authors Joe Nagengast and Craig Israelson trace the evolution and growth of target date funds from their beginning in 1994.
Uploaded: April 28, 2011
Are Target Date Funds a Bad Idea?
This is the second in a series of articles about target date funds from Target Date Analytics, LLC. In this piece, Craig Israelson and Joe Nagengast look at the criticisms leveled at these funds when so many investors near or in retirement lost significant amounts of money they had invested in 2010 target date funds. The authors make the case, albeit within certain bounds, for why they believe target date funds are a good idea.
Uploaded: April 28, 2011
Bait and Switch: Glide Path Instability
This report from Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, documents the changes in the implied glide paths of major target date providers through time and introduces a new measure for tracking stability.
Glide Path Changes & Stability Tracking
Uploaded: January 26, 2012
Cash Balance Renaissance
This September 2010 Milliman article discusses how a cash balance plan can prove to be more cost-effective for employers and more secure for employees. The plans share the characteristics of defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Under the structure described in this article, the cash balance plan provides a safe and conservative benefit that never loses principal.
Uploaded: January 21, 2011
Creating Portfolios That Confront Retirement’s Risks
The research report linked below by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, analyzes strategies that help retirees mitigate longevity risk and investment performance risk.
Longevity and Investment Performance Risk
Uploaded: February 3, 2011
Fact Sheet: U.S. Treasury Proposed Revisions to Broaden Lifetime Income Options in Employer-Sponsore
The U.S. Treasury Department issued guidance on February 2, 2012, intended to encourage lifetime income alternatives within employer-sponsored plans. The guidance proposes eliminating regulatory barriers that prevent or complicate the use of various types of annuities in both defined benefit and 401(k) plans.
Uploaded: February 13, 2012
Funded Status of Defined Benefit Plans - Q4 2010
Prism, an e-publication of Sibson and Segal Advisors, examines the effect of changes in the assets and liabilities of a model defined benefit plan on its funded ratio over the most recent four quarters. This edition includes the fourth quarter of 2010.
Uploaded: January 21, 2011
Funding Relief for Multiemployer Defined Benefit Plans
In November 2010, the IRS issued guidance on funding relief for multiemployer DB plans consisting of a special amortization rule and a special asset valuation rule.
Funding Relief - Multiemployer DB Plans
Uploaded: November 26, 2010
Investment Implications of Structural Employment and Economic Shifts
This October 2010 edition of Segal’s Research Note discusses structural shifts in employment and the distribution of economic activity that can help readers assess the impact of changes in employment and economic activity on investment portfolios.
Investment Implications - Shifts in Economy and Employment
Uploaded: October 25, 2010
Investors’ Knowledge and Comprehension of Target Date Funds
This January 2010 Vanguard survey of 4700 IRA and plan participant investors gauges the knowledge of target date fund investors. Among the findings: IRA investors are more are of these types of funds than are participants in employer-sponsored plans.
Target Date Funds - Investor Knowledge
Uploaded: January 21, 2011
Managing Your Frozen Pension Plan: A New Paradigm
Changes in funding requirements and financial reporting have brought increased attention to frozen pension plans, as discussed in this Aon Hewitt article. Coupled with recent market turmoil, there is increased interest in finding better ways to move these single-employer and multiple-employer qualified plans to full funding.
Uploaded: October 15, 2010
National Financial Capability Study – December 2009
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation released survey results that measure the financial capabilities of American adults and reveal in detail how Americans save, borrow and plan for their financial future.
National Financial Capability Study
Uploaded: November 9, 2010
Plan Demographics, Participants’ Saving Behavior and Target Date Fund Investments
This analysis by EBRI explores (1) whether plan demographic characteristics would affect individual participant contribution rates and target-date fund investments and (2) equity glide paths for participants in relation to plan demographics by considering target replacement income and its success rate.
EBRI Analysis - Target Date Funds
Uploaded: October 15, 2010
Proposed IRS Regulations Allow Equity-Based Rates of Return for Cash Balance Plans
This report by Aon Hewitt analyzes the provision in the IRS’ October 2010 release of proposed regulations that allows plan sponsors to use equity-based crediting rates for cash balance plans.
Equity-Based Rate of Return - Cash Balance Plans
Uploaded: November 26, 2010
Proposed Rule on Annual Funding Notice for DB Plans
In November 2010, the DOL published a proposed rule in the Federal Register for annual funding notices required under ERISA. The proposed rule discusses the funding notices that all DB plan administrators must furnish to the PBGC, participants and beneficiaries.
DOL Proposed DB Annual Funding Notice
Uploaded: November 26, 2010
Re-Thinking Pensions: Shifting to a Sustainable, DB Green® Strategy
This paper by Vanguard discusses how employers can continue to offer a financially sustainable defined benefit plan despite plan freezes and the current investment, legislative and accounting environment.
Financially Sustainable Defined Benefit Plans
Uploaded: January 26, 2011
Selecting a Target Date Benchmark
This research report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses the challenges investors face in determining an appropriate benchmark for target date funds and discusses quantitative and qualitative measures that can be used to compare performance.
Selecting a Target Date Benchmark
Uploaded: January 26, 2012
Target Date Fund Adoption in 2011
This February 2012 Vanguard research paper provides insights into the availability and use of target date funds within the company’s extensive plan sponsor client base.
Uploaded: April 5, 2012
Target Date Funds Misconceptions
This third in an ongoing series of articles seeks to debunk some of the myths and misunderstandings about target date funds. Authors Joe Nagengast and Craig Israelson of Target Date Analytics, LLC, examine such issues as “longevity risk,” the debate over “to” versus “through” glidepaths and the need for increased disclosure to participants.
Target Date Funds and Glidepaths
Uploaded: April 28, 2011
Target Maturity Performance Report – 1st Quarter 2010
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses first quarter performance of target maturity funds.
Q1 2010 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: November 4, 2010
Target Maturity Performance Report – 2nd Quarter 2010
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses second quarter performance of target maturity funds.
Q2 2010 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: November 4, 2010
Target Maturity Performance Report – 3rd Quarter 2010
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses third quarter performance of target maturity funds.
Q3 2010 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: November 17, 2010
Target Maturity Performance Report – 3rd Quarter 2011
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses third quarter 2011 performance of target maturity funds.
Q3 2011 Target Date Fund Perfromance
Uploaded: December 20, 2011
Target Maturity Performance Report – 4th Quarter 2010
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses fourth quarter performance of target maturity funds.
Q4 2010 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: February 3, 2011
Target Maturity Performance Report – 4th Quarter 2011
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses fourth quarter 2011 performance of target maturity funds.
Q4 2011 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: February 3, 2012
Target Maturity Performance Report –1st Quarter 2011
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses first quarter 2011 performance of target maturity funds.
Q1 2011 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: August 24, 2011
Target Maturity Performance Report –2nd Quarter 2011
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses second quarter 2011 performance of target maturity funds.
Q2 2011 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: August 24, 2011
The Impact of the Financial Crisis on 401(k) Account Balances
This EBRI Issue Brief examines the sharp decline in major U.S. equity indexes in 2008 and how individual 401(k) participants were affected. The analysis also calculates how long it might take for 401(k) balances to recover.
Financial Crisis and 401(k) Account Balances
Uploaded: November 10, 2010
A Brief History of Target Date Funds
This is the first in a series of articles from Target Date Analytics, LLC that seek to explain the whats and whys of target date funds in easy-to-understand language. In this inaugural article, authors Joe Nagengast and Craig Israelson trace the evolution and growth of target date funds from their beginning in 1994.
Uploaded: April 28, 2011
Are Target Date Funds a Bad Idea?
This is the second in a series of articles about target date funds from Target Date Analytics, LLC. In this piece, Craig Israelson and Joe Nagengast look at the criticisms leveled at these funds when so many investors near or in retirement lost significant amounts of money they had invested in 2010 target date funds. The authors make the case, albeit within certain bounds, for why they believe target date funds are a good idea.
Uploaded: April 28, 2011
Bait and Switch: Glide Path Instability
This report from Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, documents the changes in the implied glide paths of major target date providers through time and introduces a new measure for tracking stability.
Glide Path Changes & Stability Tracking
Uploaded: January 26, 2012
Cash Balance Renaissance
This September 2010 Milliman article discusses how a cash balance plan can prove to be more cost-effective for employers and more secure for employees. The plans share the characteristics of defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Under the structure described in this article, the cash balance plan provides a safe and conservative benefit that never loses principal.
Uploaded: January 21, 2011
Creating Portfolios That Confront Retirement’s Risks
The research report linked below by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, analyzes strategies that help retirees mitigate longevity risk and investment performance risk.
Longevity and Investment Performance Risk
Uploaded: February 3, 2011
Fact Sheet: U.S. Treasury Proposed Revisions to Broaden Lifetime Income Options in Employer-Sponsore
The U.S. Treasury Department issued guidance on February 2, 2012, intended to encourage lifetime income alternatives within employer-sponsored plans. The guidance proposes eliminating regulatory barriers that prevent or complicate the use of various types of annuities in both defined benefit and 401(k) plans.
Uploaded: February 13, 2012
Funded Status of Defined Benefit Plans - Q4 2010
Prism, an e-publication of Sibson and Segal Advisors, examines the effect of changes in the assets and liabilities of a model defined benefit plan on its funded ratio over the most recent four quarters. This edition includes the fourth quarter of 2010.
Uploaded: January 21, 2011
Funding Relief for Multiemployer Defined Benefit Plans
In November 2010, the IRS issued guidance on funding relief for multiemployer DB plans consisting of a special amortization rule and a special asset valuation rule.
Funding Relief - Multiemployer DB Plans
Uploaded: November 26, 2010
Investment Implications of Structural Employment and Economic Shifts
This October 2010 edition of Segal’s Research Note discusses structural shifts in employment and the distribution of economic activity that can help readers assess the impact of changes in employment and economic activity on investment portfolios.
Investment Implications - Shifts in Economy and Employment
Uploaded: October 25, 2010
Investors’ Knowledge and Comprehension of Target Date Funds
This January 2010 Vanguard survey of 4700 IRA and plan participant investors gauges the knowledge of target date fund investors. Among the findings: IRA investors are more are of these types of funds than are participants in employer-sponsored plans.
Target Date Funds - Investor Knowledge
Uploaded: January 21, 2011
Managing Your Frozen Pension Plan: A New Paradigm
Changes in funding requirements and financial reporting have brought increased attention to frozen pension plans, as discussed in this Aon Hewitt article. Coupled with recent market turmoil, there is increased interest in finding better ways to move these single-employer and multiple-employer qualified plans to full funding.
Uploaded: October 15, 2010
National Financial Capability Study – December 2009
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation released survey results that measure the financial capabilities of American adults and reveal in detail how Americans save, borrow and plan for their financial future.
National Financial Capability Study
Uploaded: November 9, 2010
Plan Demographics, Participants’ Saving Behavior and Target Date Fund Investments
This analysis by EBRI explores (1) whether plan demographic characteristics would affect individual participant contribution rates and target-date fund investments and (2) equity glide paths for participants in relation to plan demographics by considering target replacement income and its success rate.
EBRI Analysis - Target Date Funds
Uploaded: October 15, 2010
Proposed IRS Regulations Allow Equity-Based Rates of Return for Cash Balance Plans
This report by Aon Hewitt analyzes the provision in the IRS’ October 2010 release of proposed regulations that allows plan sponsors to use equity-based crediting rates for cash balance plans.
Equity-Based Rate of Return - Cash Balance Plans
Uploaded: November 26, 2010
Proposed Rule on Annual Funding Notice for DB Plans
In November 2010, the DOL published a proposed rule in the Federal Register for annual funding notices required under ERISA. The proposed rule discusses the funding notices that all DB plan administrators must furnish to the PBGC, participants and beneficiaries.
DOL Proposed DB Annual Funding Notice
Uploaded: November 26, 2010
Re-Thinking Pensions: Shifting to a Sustainable, DB Green® Strategy
This paper by Vanguard discusses how employers can continue to offer a financially sustainable defined benefit plan despite plan freezes and the current investment, legislative and accounting environment.
Financially Sustainable Defined Benefit Plans
Uploaded: January 26, 2011
Selecting a Target Date Benchmark
This research report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses the challenges investors face in determining an appropriate benchmark for target date funds and discusses quantitative and qualitative measures that can be used to compare performance.
Selecting a Target Date Benchmark
Uploaded: January 26, 2012
Target Date Fund Adoption in 2011
This February 2012 Vanguard research paper provides insights into the availability and use of target date funds within the company’s extensive plan sponsor client base.
Uploaded: April 5, 2012
Target Date Funds Misconceptions
This third in an ongoing series of articles seeks to debunk some of the myths and misunderstandings about target date funds. Authors Joe Nagengast and Craig Israelson of Target Date Analytics, LLC, examine such issues as “longevity risk,” the debate over “to” versus “through” glidepaths and the need for increased disclosure to participants.
Target Date Funds and Glidepaths
Uploaded: April 28, 2011
Target Maturity Performance Report – 1st Quarter 2010
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses first quarter performance of target maturity funds.
Q1 2010 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: November 4, 2010
Target Maturity Performance Report – 2nd Quarter 2010
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses second quarter performance of target maturity funds.
Q2 2010 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: November 4, 2010
Target Maturity Performance Report – 3rd Quarter 2010
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses third quarter performance of target maturity funds.
Q3 2010 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: November 17, 2010
Target Maturity Performance Report – 3rd Quarter 2011
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses third quarter 2011 performance of target maturity funds.
Q3 2011 Target Date Fund Perfromance
Uploaded: December 20, 2011
Target Maturity Performance Report – 4th Quarter 2010
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses fourth quarter performance of target maturity funds.
Q4 2010 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: February 3, 2011
Target Maturity Performance Report – 4th Quarter 2011
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses fourth quarter 2011 performance of target maturity funds.
Q4 2011 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: February 3, 2012
Target Maturity Performance Report –1st Quarter 2011
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses first quarter 2011 performance of target maturity funds.
Q1 2011 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: August 24, 2011
Target Maturity Performance Report –2nd Quarter 2011
This quarterly report by Ibbotson Associates, a Morningstar company, discusses second quarter 2011 performance of target maturity funds.
Q2 2011 Target Date Fund Performance
Uploaded: August 24, 2011
The Impact of the Financial Crisis on 401(k) Account Balances
This EBRI Issue Brief examines the sharp decline in major U.S. equity indexes in 2008 and how individual 401(k) participants were affected. The analysis also calculates how long it might take for 401(k) balances to recover.
Financial Crisis and 401(k) Account Balances
Uploaded: November 10, 2010
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