White Paper

  • Strengthening Target-Date Funds with Guarantees to Enhance Retirement Security

    While plan sponsors and participants have been quick to adopt target-date funds, the inherent risks of this approach have become apparent during the recent financial turmoil. Plan providers can mitigate these risks by combining target-date funds with income guarantees.

    Posted on: June 10, 2009
    By Boomer Market Advisor

  • Redefining Defined Contribution

    The transformation from an asset accumulation business to a broad platform for lifetime retirement savings and security.

    Posted on: January 14, 2009
    By Boomer Market Advisor

  • Fee Transparency and Investment Neutrality in Retirement Plans

    Retirement plan sponsors have important fiduciary responsibilities to plan participants. Understanding plan expenses and determining if they are reasonable are among the most important.

    Posted on: January 14, 2009
    By Boomer Market Advisor

  • Age-Based Retirement Investing: A better solution for participants and plan sponsors in the age of transparency.

    Knowing how to invest for retirement is often difficult for the average person. In recent years, lifestyle funds have made it easier for most participants. The distinguishing feature of the popular "target date" lifestyle funds is that the overall asset allocation automatically becomes more conservative as a participant's retirement date approaches. Another approach -age-based investing -automatically adjusts asset allocation to become more conservative based on a person's age, rather than an expected retirement date.

    Posted on: November 5, 2008
    By Boomer Market Advisor

  • ETFs in 401(k)s; The Future is Now.pdf

    In recent months there has been much misinformation swirling about in the media regarding the usefulness of ETFs in 401(k) plans. This white paper addresses the application of ETFs as a valuable tool that can easily be incorporated into retirement plans. Irrational trepidation and technical impediments have prevented more widespread usage of ETFs in 401(k)s. For those who seek out select administrators, options are plentiful and extremely cost effective.

    Posted on: September 3, 2008
    By Boomer Market Advisor

  • Targeting the Affluent and the Emerging Affluent

    The investors who comprise the emerging affluent segment of the market are very diverse -- in terms of their net worth, risk tolerance, financial goals, and a myriad of other characteristics. Because of this diversity, in order for firms and advisors to effectively service this market they must perform some level of segmentation.

    Posted on: August 4, 2008
    By Marketing Staff

  • Geopolitical Risk: Preparing portfolios for geopolitical events

    Geopolitical risks once summed up as the "Axis of Evil" are constantly evolving, and new threats and opportunities - at least for investors - are always emerging. Investors need to be prepared to manage geopolitical risk in their portfolios by understanding the current status of new and ancient conflicts. It's important to recognize how risk is priced into investments, and anticipate how developments in the conflicts will affect the value of these investments.

    Posted on: May 28, 2008
    By Boomer Market Advisor

  • Financial Security In Uncertain Economic Times

    The squeeze you feel at the pump is more than just your fingers against the handle - it's a firm squeeze on your pocketbook and it's being felt by Americans nationwide as gas prices soar and oil maintains its near $100 per barrel price level. The cost of daily goods and gas are among the top concerns of Americans even more so than the woeful stock market performance of the past quarter, subprime mortgage crisis, or the falling values of the real estate market. Americans are facing real pressure to keep up with the rising cost of daily living and many are left wondering how they can possibly plan for a secure financial future when they're having so much trouble making ends meet day to day.

    Posted on: May 28, 2008
    By Boomer Market Advisor

  • Family Matters: Retirement Preparation Tips for Different Family Types

    According to the MetLife Family Matters study from the Mature Market Institute, planning for retirement is tougher and more complicated for "single women" (widowed, divorced, or never-married with or without children) and "blended families" (two parents with at least one child from a previous relationship) than it is for "traditional families" (two parents with children from their current relationship). Taking into account the legal, financial and planning needs that are universal to all families as well as those that are specifically applicable to the different family types, the Institute has prepared this series of tips. The tips are designed to provide some basic guidance on matters pertaining to savings, pensions, insurance, home ownership, dependent care, estate planning and other areas. We hope they will help individuals and families make the right choices and enable them to plan for a secure retirement.

    Posted on: May 28, 2008
    By Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

  • Collective Investment Trusts: The New Wave in Retirement Investing

    What are CITs? Collective investment trusts (CITs) are an institutional-only investment vehicle aimed at the retirement plan market, including the defined contribution plan market. They are similar to mutual funds in that they are comprised of pooled assets invested with a specific philosophy and strategy. However, there are several factors that differentiate CITs from mutual funds, including a simpler structure, exemption from the 1940 Investment Company Act, and generally lower operating costs.

    Posted on: May 27, 2008
    By SEI Global Services, Inc.