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
A 401(k) Defense Against Rising Rates
Stable value accounts can be a smart option for the most conservative slice of a 401(k) portfolio, especially in the current interest-rate environment. Check out the article here
Guaranteed Insurance Accounts – Frequently Asked Questions
Because of the significant allocation of assets to guaranteed insurance accounts and the scant amount of publicly available information, the SVIA has released the following FAQ to shed some light on this segment. This FAQ is limited to an overview of guaranteed insurance accounts and focuses primarily on ‘spread-based’ general account insurance products. Download the […]
The Fiscal Cliff: Where Politics and Economics Meet
Maybe we haven’t seen anything yet. Sure, Washington has been filled with partisan bickering for the past few years, but as the republic prepares to sail over a fiscal cliff it seems likely that the debate and rhetoric in our nation’s capital will be characterized by a heightened sense of urgency and increased vitriol. “There’s always a chance that we […]
DOL Continues to Refine ERISA Rules and Regulations
The Department of Labor has issued many new rules governing retirement plans over the past few years, but its work is hardly done, Michael Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), told participants at the 2012 SVIA Fall Forum. Davis recited a list of his agency’s recent rulemaking accomplishments, including issuing proposed regulations that would require additional disclosures about […]
Stable Value and the Small-Plan Market
Stable value funds continue to play an important role in smaller defined contribution plans, and industry insiders suggest there’s little reason to believe that won’t continue to be the case going forward. Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs is among the segment’s champions. When it decided to acquire stable value money manager Dwight Asset Management earlier this year, says David Solomon, head of defined […]
The Impact of Managed Accounts on Stable Value Funds
Stable value funds have long appealed to participants in defined contribution plans, and currently account for about 14 percent of the total assets held in those plans. Now, however, some participants are delegating responsibility for choosing their investments to outside advisors via so-called “managed accounts” programs. While it’s not clear how that might impact allocations to stable value funds over the long term, early […]