EBRI’s 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey: Perceived Savings Needs Outpace Reality for Many
Americans’ confidence in their ability to afford a comfortable retirement remains low— which may reflect a growing awareness of the savings realities ahead, according to the 23rd annual Retirement Confidence Survey. Download the PDF
Negotiating Risk for Stable Value Options
Dwight Asset Management has recently released a paper on stable value risk management which details five aspects of stable value risk and considerations on how they can be effectively managed. Download the PDF
MetLife’s 2013 Stable Value Study
MetLife has recently released their 2013 Stable Value Study, a study of Defined Contribution plan sponsors and stable value fund providers that gauges perceptions of, and insights into, the current stable value product landscape. Check out the study here
Stable Value: 401(k) Anchor
Bankrate’s blog recently released an article covering a new Prudential whitepaper, and had this to say: “If you’re one of the many who has your 401(k) retirement fund invested in a stable value fund, a white paper produced by Prudential Financial shows that you are probably doing some smart retirement planning.” Check out the article […]
Stable Value: Is There Really a Problem?
Stable value has been in the news far more than the facts warrant, and not for the reason that deserves highlighting: stable value continues to deliver returns far superior to other options that qualify as a defined contribution plan’s “safe option.” Download the PDF
Meeting the Challenges of a Low Interest-Rate Environment
When it comes to interest-rate risk, the focus for the stable value industry has always been on rates rising steeply or suddenly, which would be a major change from today’s sustained low rate world. The issue for stable value is whether retirement plan participants would flee the asset class in favor of money market funds, where returns to investors tend to immediately follow in […]
New Reporting Requirements Provide Insight into Stable Value Fees
Stable value funds that are managed as individual accounts for a single retirement savings plan have the lowest expense ratios in the stable value marketplace, a new survey from the SVIA confirms. Under new Department of Labor (DOL) regulations, defined contribution plans this year began reporting to their plan participants detailed information about the costs of the investment options in their plans. The […]
A Dodd-Frank Update: Stable Value Still in Limbo
Stable value wrap contracts aren’t considered swap contracts under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010—and they won’t be unless the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) determine that stable value contracts are swaps. A major goal of the Dodd-Frank Act was to bring greater transparency and regulatory oversight to over-the-counter derivatives, or, in the […]
Finding Retirement Security
Stable value is in a new stage of growth and stability. At the height of the financial crisis in the last quarter of 2008, stable value funds held about $347 billion of the assets in defined contribution plans. That number rose to $423 billion by the end of 2009 or 22 percent as investors sought out less volatile investment options. By the […]