Topic Tags: Defined Contribution

Secure Choice: The Next Chapter in the U.S. Defined Contribution Story

February 2016

In this latest Marquette Defined Contribution paper, we build on the similar themes of governance and evolving best practices by emphasizing that positive challenges lie ahead for trusted stewards of defined contribution plan assets; particularly, as defined contribution assets continue to grow, new types of DC plans emerge, best practices evolve, and an increasingly diverse population is gaining access to defined contribution plans. Consequently, those of us that are entrusted as fiduciaries have an opportunity to place segments of our country’s workforce on a steadier path towards retirement readiness.

Download PDF

Defined Contribution Plan Stewardship: History & Opportunities

Defined contribution (DC) plans have grown to become the most commonly used employer-sponsored retirement savings vehicle in the U.S. — and fiduciary duty guidance is rapidly evolving as well. Please join us for a discussion on defined contribution plan stewardship with Greg Leonberger, director of research, and Kweku Obed, senior investment consultant. Key topics from our popular DC white paper, Defined Contribution Plans: A Look at the Past, Present & Future, will be covered.

Attendees will be briefed on:

  • The growth of defined contribution plans
  • Best practices evolution & the PPA as catalyst
  • Behavioral finance & the fiduciary duty of investment choice simplification
  • The robust governance & monitoring imperative

A question and answer session will follow.

Live Webinar – Tuesday, March 31, 2015 – 1:00-1:45 PM CT

Presenters: Greg Leonberger, FSA, EA, MAAA, Director of Research, Managing Partner; Kweku Obed, CFA, CAIA, Senior Vice President 

Who should attend: DC plan sponsors (current & future), investment managers

 

Please contact us for access to this presentation. 

Defined Contribution Plans: A Look at the Past, Present & Future

In this paper, we will highlight some key themes, namely that along with the growth of DC plans, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (“PPA”) has been a catalyst for changes to plan design and investment structure. Additionally, the mainstream acceptance of behavioral finance has placed greater emphasis on simplifying the investment lineup and helping DC participants make more effective choices.

The percentage of U.S. workers that are covered by a traditional defined benefit (DB) pension has declined in recent decades while over the same period, defined contribution (DC) plans have become the most commonly used employer-sponsored retirement savings vehicle in the U.S.

As a growing percentage of the U.S. labor force will rely on DC plans as a key source of retirement income, we expect to see the continued evolution of best practices around the design, monitoring, and accessibility of defined contribution plans, including increased direction from regulatory organizations such as the Department of Labor (DOL).

In this paper we will highlight some key themes, namely that along with the growth of DC plans, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (“PPA”) has been a catalyst for changes to plan design and investment structure. Additionally, the mainstream acceptance of behavioral finance has placed greater emphasis on simplifying the investment lineup and helping DC participants make more effective choices.

While these three factors have driven much needed change in the DC world, plan sponsors and consultants must continue to build on the solid foundation and tailwinds that the growing popularity of DC plans, PPA, and behavioral finance have helped create. In building on this strong foundation, DC plan sponsors should adopt a robust governance and monitoring framework in which the depth and quality of the investment lineup is equally important as the maximization of participant engagement, plan design, and oversight of all vendors responsible for providing third-party services to DC plans.

Download PDF >

Growth of Liquid Alternatives

This week’s chart looks at the recent fund flows and the trailing twelve month (“TTM”) percentage growth rate of liquid alternatives as of March 31, 2014. Over the past decade, private investment managers, traditionally associated with less liquid investments such as hedge funds, private equity, and real estate, have expanded their investment focus towards the creation of liquid alternative products that comply with the 1940 Investment Company Act in order to meet the demands of the rapidly growing defined contribution market.

This week’s chart looks at the recent fund flows and the trailing twelve-month (“TTM”) percentage growth rate of liquid alternatives as of March 31, 2014. Over the past decade, private investment managers, traditionally associated with less liquid investments such as hedge funds, private equity, and real estate, have expanded their investment focus towards the creation of liquid alternative products that comply with the 1940 Investment Company Act in order to meet the demands of the rapidly growing defined contribution market.

Within the open-ended mutual fund universe, liquid alternatives have once again topped all other asset classes with the highest organic growth rate over the TTM period, up 39.5% as of March 31, 2014. Although this growth rate is impressive, liquid alternative assets only represent 1.3% ($149B) of the U.S. mutual fund universe, which has over $11 trillion in assets.

As the trend toward liquid alternatives continues to grow, investors should consider the potential implications and effectiveness of the newly designed strategies. ’40 Act funds must comply with restrictions not required by traditional hedge funds such as leverage limits, short-selling, and liquidity. In addition, the standard 1.5% and 20% hedge fund fee structure has to be adjusted within the ’40 Act universe; currently, the average management fee for liquid alternative funds is around 1.5%. Since the significant rise in the formation of liquid alternative products has taken off within the past few years, investors should be cautious before diving into the space as the next decade will be a testing ground for these strategies as to whether or not they deliver on their performance expectations, in terms of both return and diversification.

2Q 2009 Investment Perspectives

SEC and DOL Discuss Target Date Funds
Over the course of the past several years target-date funds (TDFs) have grown in popularity amongst participant-directed retirement plans. TDFs offer investors the benefit of asset class diversification while rebalancing the asset allocation automatically as the investor progresses along the glide path. As the investor approaches retirement age, the portfolio’s equity exposure is methodically reduced over time according to the glide path, and replaced with more conservative, less volatile asset classes such as bonds, inflation-protected securities, and cash. The glide path dictates at what ages, and to what extent, the asset allocation is modified, in effect transferring the responsibility of portfolio management from the investor to a professional money manager.

Are Equities Poised for a Rebound?
Whenever we are asked for guidance on the stock market, we find it useful to look at long-term data to reveal trends and conclusions. In the following, we examine historical and current market data, along with macroeconomic figures. Collectively, our analysis provides evidence that current equity market conditions may have reached their bottom, and a recovery could be sooner than many expect.

Download PDF