According to research by ING, plan participants who use TDFs are more confident about meeting their retirement goals. They also defer more and are less stressed. In an online survey of more than 1,... Read More
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Target Date Funds
BY Fred Barstein | 4/9/2014
According to custodian Northern Trust, TDFs were the largest gainer of flows into DC plans last year, at the expense of fixed income. Based on nearly 100 plans with 1.7 million participants and $225... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 4/4/2014
Having trouble trying to compare TDFs? You’re not alone, and the SEC has noticed. The agency announced April 3 that it is seeking comments on recommendations made by the Investment Advisory Committee... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 4/2/2014
It looks like custom TDFs might have some life after all, according to a February survey of 285 DC plan executives by SEI. While just 12% indicated that they currently use custom TDFs, that... Read More
BY John Ortman | 3/24/2014
It may have been 20 years since Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play, but their music stopped long ago. Not so with the target date fund concept, which celebrates its 20th birthday this month, and is... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 2/18/2014
Based on last year’s DOL guidance to plan sponsors on evaluating TDFs and their growing popularity as a QDIA, the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association has released a... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 2/12/2014
Target date funds continue to gain momentum in DC plans, according to a study by P... Read More
BY Jerry Bramlett | 1/23/2014
The title of a recent post by Schneider Downs, “New Trend in 401(k) Plans May Be a Headache for Fiduciaries” is a good description of what plan sponsors face as it relates to target-date funds.There... Read More
BY John Iekel | 1/17/2014
Target date funds reflect that flexibility and engagement have become firmly entrenched aspects of retirement plan management for both participants and plan sponsors. In a Jan. 14 NAPA webinar, “... Read More
BY Jerry Bramlett | 1/10/2014
Two recent studies challenge the most fundamental assumption undergirding the construction of virtually all target-date glide paths: that the best strategy is to wind down equity exposure as a DC... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/9/2014
The Great Recession brought an inordinate amount of scrutiny to target date funds from both industry experts and political organizations. And the scrutiny came with good reason: Some estimates show... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 12/27/2013
Target date funds have become especially popular with workers in their twenties, according to a recent report from the ICI and EBRI. Among younger workers, 52% are investing in TDFs, compared with... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 12/13/2013
The Great Recession brought an inordinate amount of scrutiny to target date funds from both industry experts and political organizations. And the scrutiny came with good reason: Some estimates show... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 12/10/2013
Saving for retirement is easy compared with figuring out how much you will need when you retire, which is why TDFs have become so popular. Though using a single investment strategy for people born... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 12/5/2013
As Vanguard closes in on top TDF provider Fidelity, the Boston fund company is taking steps to bolster its shrinking advantage, lowering fees on their Freedom Index Funds. Fidelity’s new pricing will... Read More
BY Jerry Bramlett | 11/25/2013
There are two significant trends in DC investing: the use of traditional glidepath strategies (reducing equity as an investor ages) and the use of mostly cap-weighted passive money management. Both... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 11/18/2013
While the trend toward managed investments — mostly in the form of TDFs — is moving in the right direction, there’s a basic flaw in how they are presented. That flaw can be easily fixed, however.... Read More
BY John Ortman | 10/16/2013
Fred Reish highlights a problem with most Investment Policy Statements: Most lack a robust set of criteria to be applied to TDFs. For example, an IPS might be completely silent on the issue or may... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 10/14/2013
Drinker Biddle provides some concise guidance for advisors interested in using custom target date funds. While the use of packaged TDFs has skyrocketed, the use of custom TDFs is limited. The DOL... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 9/30/2013
Business reasons and changing market dynamics have caused Fidelity to get more aggressive in the equity allocation for their estimated $175 billion in TDF funds. RIABiz reporter Brooke Southall... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 8/29/2013
There’s a lot of discussion about the efficacy of TDFs that invest only in the fund complex’s investments. Many are predicting that it’s only a matter of time before they’re forced to open up to... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 8/12/2013
Morningstar recently released their 2013 Q2 “Target-Date Fund Series Rating and Research Reports,” which are one-page analyses of the 22 most widely held TDFs. The reports review the glide paths, sub... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 7/17/2013
Though TDF assets grew 20% in 2012, according to a joint report from Brightscope and TD Analytics, the net number of TDFs dropped from 50 to 48, a first since the rating agencies started covering... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 7/5/2013
As more assets flow into TDFs, analysis of how they are created is becoming essential to advisors and plan sponsors. There are numerous tools available from firms like Allianz, Pimco and JP Morgan to... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 7/2/2013
Morningstar has released a comprehensive and far-reaching review and analysis of the TDF market that includes results from Q1 2013. Some of the findings are not surprising, including the continued... Read More
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