With interest rates stuck at historic lows, we’re at a point where the “annuities are expensive” mantra is conventional wisdom and rarely questioned. The purpose of this article is to explore this notion and quantify what “expensive” really means.
Fixed-income investing will continue to play a crucial role for investors, even as three decades of bond-market gains appear likely to come to an end, according to a research paper by Russell Investments.
Investors may have been skittish in early April, but the general trend appears to be “risk on” once again, according to Patrick Bradley, product specialist with the global fixed income team at Brandywine Global Investment Management, which manages the Renaissance Global Bond Fund.
Ultra-low yields in a potentially volatile global and domestic macroeconomic environment create a number of challenges for global pension plan sponsors—and 2012 will indeed be the year of difficult decisions.
New bond ETFs offer equity-like variety.
Ford Motor Co. will pump $3.8 billion into its global pension plans this year as it tries to get them closer to fully funding their obligations.
Canadian pension plans ended the year barely in positive territory, thanks to an impromptu October market rally that helped lift retirement assets by 4.2% in the fourth quarter, according to a survey by RBC Dexia Investor Services.
CIBC Global Asset Management Inc. has expanded its offering of institutional pools, spanning Canadian, U.S. and global equities, as well as Canadian fixed income.
Canadian pension plans should see a better year head, reports Mercer. According to the consulting firm’s most recent Fearless Forecast survey, investment managers anticipate that 2012 will bring modest economic growth, but solid equity returns.
The number of pension plans adopting liability-driven investing (LDI) strategies has increased significantly since last year, reports SEI. According to SEI’s Global Quick Poll, which surveyed pension executives from the U.S., Canada, Netherlands and U.K., 63% of respondents said they now employ an LDI investment approach.