…cash and fixed income markets. In April, the Fed provided up to $2.3 trillion in aid, including loans and support to government and corporate bond markets. The Fed’s balance sheet has also increased in the past year, by nearly two-thirds, to over $6 trillion. Low…
…as the new Fed chairperson in the coming weeks. Finally, how does the Fed impact retirement savings? It is well established that so long as the Fed keeps interest rates low, fixed income investments such as money markets and Certificates of Deposit (CDs) will have…
…Meanwhile, overseas markets experienced even larger declines than the U.S. with the MSCI EAFE Index (representing large-cap international stocks) down 10.2% (-5.3% YTD) and emerging markets (MSCI Emerging Markets Index) falling 17.9% (-15.5% YTD). Fixed-Income Markets Bonds were relatively strong for the quarter – the…
…and Japan. Equity Markets U.S. equity markets shrugged off the June correction and posted moderately positive returns for the quarter. Small-caps (+3.1 Russell 2000 Index) slightly outpaced large-caps (+2.9% S&P 500 Index) while midcaps (+2.2% Russell Midcap Index) posted the smallest gains for the quarter….
…hikes on hold thus far, although the financial markets expect one or more rate cuts before year-end. Equity Markets The S&P 500 Index, representing large-cap stocks, advanced 4.3% for Q2 after gaining 13.7% in Q1. Large-cap stocks significantly outperformed their small-cap counterparts for the period…
A blog by Frederic Slade, CFA, Assistant Vice President and Senior Director, Investments and Michael Randazzo, Vice President, Investments and Senior Investment Strategies, CFA, Pentegra Retirement Services – August 30,2016 In July 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new rules for the further…
…infrastructure, can pension funds share in the cost? A growing source of non-government funding for infrastructure has come from targeted investment funds via commitments by pension funds and other institutional (non-retail) investors. According to Pensions & Investments, global assets under management in infrastructure increased from…
…is our view that volatile markets are precisely the environment where plan investment committees should follow an IPS. Volatile markets are unpredictable. Volatile markets can be emotional and emotional times can make for poor investment decisions unless a well-crafted IPS is utilized as the basis…
…of future results. About Frederic Slade Frederic Slade is Assistant Vice President and Senior Director, Investments at Pentegra Retirement Services. He joined Pentegra in May 2007 as a Senior Analyst in the Investment Department and became Director-Investments in January 2013. He is responsible for managing…
“Our PENTalk provides an overview of the Pentegra Defined Benefit Plan for Financial Institutions. Included in the PENTalk will be a synopsis of the valuation process and the information that is provided in the Executive Summary that you receive annually. Other items of discussion will…
…planning remains, is a sobering fact. Thus, we are introducing and promoting the hashtag #talkaboutretirement, designed to help spur dialogue among family members, business associates and friends, in addition to industry professionals. We hope that #talkaboutretirement will indeed become a trending topic – one that…
“Join us as we discuss major trends creating opportunities and challenges for trust and wealth management departments. Topics include: Regulatory: The impact of the DOL Fiduciary Rule Markets: Entering an era of more modest investment returns Demographics: Adapting from accumulation to decumulation Technology: Robo Advisors…