Administration May 5, 2015

Pension Plan Funded Ratios Increased in April

The aggregate funded ratio for U.S. corporate pension plans saw an increase in April 2015.
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Due to a decrease in liability values and flat asset values, the aggregate funded ratio for U.S. corporate pension plans increased 2.2% for the month of April. According to Wilshire Consulting, the funded ratio for April was 83.8%, up from 81.6% in March.

“The asset result is due to negative returns for fixed income, which offset the positive returns for equities, while liability values decreased due to the increase in corporate bond yields,” explains Ned McGuire, vice president and member of the pension risk solutions group of Wilshire Consulting.

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A 12-month review reveals the funded ratio was at 86.2% as of April 30, 2014. The status for April 30 of the current year shows a monthly change of 2.2%, year-to-date change of 1.3% and trailing annual change of -2.4%.

The pension data is analyzed by the consulting firm’s institutional investment advisory and outsourced-chief investment officer business unit of Wilshire Associates. Figures represent information from S&P 500 companies, Citi Group Pension Liability Index Intermediate, Wilshire’s 2015 corporate funding study and Barclays Long Aa+ U.S. Corporate Index.

Products May 5, 2015

SmartPlan Spanish Enhances Engagement and Enrollment

The launch of SmartPlan Spanish will provide additional retirement plan education resources to one of the fastest-growing population segments in the United States.
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A new version of the SmartPlan retirement educational program purports to be the first solution of its kind tailored specifically to the Spanish-speaking community.

SmartPlan Spanish supports users with a culture-conscious approach to retirement education, according to vWise Inc., the financial software and solutions provider behind SmartPlan. The firm hopes the SmartPlan Spanish product will enhance employee engagement and enrollment through interactive training sessions, similar to its original counterpart.

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“SmartPlan Spanish brings access to our industry-leading technology to even more participants anytime, anywhere and on any device,” says Tony Mingo, president and CEO of vWise.

Similar to the original SmartPlan product, SmartPlan Spanish offers easy-to-use education formats for employees with varying degrees of reading and investment comprehension. The result is a potentially more seamless enrollment and decisionmaking process for plan participants and officials, vWise says. Additionally, the solution works with a 401(k) plan provider’s existing presence across print materials and online technology tools.

“With interactive SmartPlan in Spanish, the workplace retirement plan is now easier to understand, more engaging and accessible to even more employees,” adds Mingo.

A short video with additional information is available here.

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