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Investment consulting, US DC

Contact: Andrew Kramer
Tel: +1 212 345 7454

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US Defined Contribution

Last updated: 11 January 2010

 

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US: '10 for 2010’: New Year’s resolutions defined contribution plan sponsors should make now
7 January 2010

 

Mercer has published a “10 for 2010” checklist of New Year’s resolutions defined contribution (DC) plan sponsors should make now to address investment and plan-design concerns, fulfill fiduciary responsibilities and help participants meet their retirement objectives.

 

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Mercer's 2009 global defined contribution survey - results

 

The move from traditional defined benefit to defined contribution retirement plans is well underway in many countries. With this shift come various challenges for employers of all sizes. By understanding the practices other plan sponsors are following and the trends in your and other countries, you will be prepared to offer your employees a competitive DC plan that will help them prepare for retirement. We received over 1,500 responses (including over 300 responses from multinational companies) from companies in 33 countries across Continental Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the US, Canada and the UK. The survey highlights the increased global prevalence of defined contribution plans and focuses on current issues and future trends.

 

right arrow icon Global DC survey results - available now

Mercer webcast

A free download of the webcast recording is available!

 

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Recording date: 

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 3:00 pm

 

Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)

Panelist information:

Toni Brown, Craig Burnett, Andrew Kramer and Amy Reynolds

Duration: 

59 minutes

 

The move from traditional defined benefit to defined contribution retirement plans is well underway in many countries. With this shift come various challenges for employers of all sizes. By understanding the practices other plan sponsors are following and the trends in your and other countries, you will be prepared to offer your employees a competitive DC plan that will help them prepare for retirement.

Attending this webcast will provide attendees with valuable insights on global and regional DC trends that will help you manage your DC plans going forward. Please join us for this free event to tap into the data coming out of this truly global survey and to hear Mercer DC specialists speak about the implications for plan sponsors.

We are glad to report that we had an overwhelming response to our global DC survey and would like to share the findings.

 

Defined contribution (DC) plans are becoming the pre-eminent retirement savings vehicle for many employees. While the investment structure of a DC plan has always been important, it has taken on greater significance as more and more workers are relying on this type of retirement plan for their savings objectives.

 

To meet their fiduciary responsibilities, plan sponsors must provide participants with a well-designed retirement savings program with a diversified fund line-up that encourages employee participation. But in today’s environment, sponsors face many challenges, including:

 

  • Changing legislative environment, such as the Pension Protection Act

  • Heightened scrutiny by participants, regulators and other third parties concerning plan costs

  • Insufficient investment knowledge among participants, which can lead to poor investment choices resulting in unmet retirement-saving goals

DC plan objectives

Our investment consulting services are designed to enhance defined contribution plans by focusing on the following objectives:

 

  • To enable Plan participants to take advantage of wealth accumulation opportunities

  • To improve participant satisfaction with the Plan’s investments

  • To ensure fiduciaries – the Investment Committee, investment managers, and trustee –comply with ERISA and other applicable state and federal regulations for the administration and investment of the Plan assets, including 404(c) compliance

  • To manage financial relationships with the recordkeeper, trustee, managers, etc., to help maximize relationship value

 


Mercer is a leading global provider of investment consulting services, and offers customized guidance at every stage of the investment decision, risk management and investment monitoring process. We have been dedicated to meeting the needs of clients for more than 30 years, and we work with the fiduciaries of pension funds, foundations, endowments and other investors in some 35 countries. We assist with every aspect of institutional investing (and retail portfolios in some geographies), from strategy, structure and implementation to ongoing portfolio management. We create value through our commitment to thought leadership; world-class, independent research; and top-notch consultants with local expertise.

 

 

Contact: Andrew Kramer
Tel: +1 212 345 7454

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'10 for 2010': New Year's resolutions defined contribution plan sponsors should make now

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Related resources

 

Mercer's DC Connections publication links plan sponsors with the latest investment and plan design trends from around the world

 

DC Connections. Unprecedented times for DC plans - How did members, employers and governments react?

 

DC Connections


Business contacts

Andrew Kramer

New York

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Bill McClain

Seattle

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