Plan Sponsor

By the second quarter of this year, the number of “401(k) millionaires” rose 2.5% from Q1, marking a record high according to Fidelity. At the same time, retirement savers overall experienced three consecutive quarters of growth — and that’s good news for many investors. However, a Vanguard analysis of its plans also shows a concerning trend: The percentage of savers who took hardship withdrawals from retirement accounts increased twofold over a three-year period, climbing from 1.7% in 2020 to 3.6% in 2023.

Target date funds (TDF) are in high demand these days. According to a recent Sway Research study, total TDF assets reached $3.5 trillion in 2023 — a record level. Moreover, mutual fund target dates began 2024 slightly ahead of collective investment trusts, holding $1.76 trillion in assets compared to $1.71 trillion in CITs, TDF assets in CITs are expected to overtake assets in mutual funds this year as fiduciaries continue to look for ways to reduce fees and access innovative solutions.

Various solutions exist to reinforce retirees’ ability to manage the drawdown of the wealth and effectively use their assets and maintain a comfortable standard of living. The portfolio management can be guided and informed by plan sponsor, but the participant has some key considerations regarding longevity and liquidity risks. Below, we break down these areas and provide a piece of communication for you to share with your participants to get them thinking their long-term plans for prudent utilization of the retirement assets.

Investment policy statements (IPSs) are commonplace among retirement plans — with around 83% providing one. And that number tends to be even higher among bigger plans. Financial powerhouse Goldman Sachs is one of the larger employers that doesn’t utilize an IPS. In fact, this was the subject of a recently dismissed lawsuit by a former Goldman employee, whose attorney alleged that the company violated ERISA by, among other things, failing to adopt an IPS.

As the seasons change and the days start to get chillier, market trends are calling for doom and gloom in the economy. Some argue that a recession is inevitable if not already here. What exactly does this mean and what should Americans do if in fact we are in a recession?

Most companies and organizations’ human resources departments and C-suites are seeking efficiencies and risk mitigation for their entities. For those, and a myriad of other, reasons 3(38) fiduciary discretionary investment management services are getting a closer look by plan sponsors.