Product and Service Launches

October Three Expands O3 PRIME Retirement Plan

October Three, a retirement strategy, actuarial and administration consulting firm, has expanded its O3 PRIME—Personalized Retirement Income for My Employees—lifetime retirement income plan.

The plan is a market-based cash balance plan integrated with a 401(k) plan that reduces risk and complexity for businesses while producing up to 30% more lifetime income for employees compared to what a defined contribution plan can provide, according to October Three. In 2023, October Three constructed the PRIME design and began implementing it for several clients. October Three rolled out a PRIME plan for its own staff in January.

“O3 PRIME goes beyond traditional retirement savings methods to create a plan that effectively balances the needs of employers and employees, to help employees secure their retirement without exposing their employer to excessive risk,” said Jeff Stevenson, October Three’s president and CEO, in a statement.

JPMorgan U.S. Research Enhanced Large-Cap ETF Launches on NYSE

J.P. Morgan Asset Management launched the JPMorgan U.S. Research Enhanced Large Cap ETF on the New York Stock Exchange.

JUSA is designed with a slightly lower active risk budget and a greater number of holdings, providing broader diversification, than other funds. This makes it an attractive option for investors looking for consistent returns in their U.S. equity exposure, according to the company. This ETF, managed by Ralph Zingone and Tim Snyder, expands J.P. Morgan’s Research Enhanced range, providing investors with a suite of investment strategies for long-term capital appreciation.

“JUSA exemplifies the core principles of J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s leadership in active ETFs,” said John Harrington, J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s global head of ETF product, in a statement. “By combining decades of experience in managing our time-tested Research Enhanced strategies with the innovative structure of the active ETF vehicle, we are delivering a solution that aligns with our tradition of excellence and commitment to innovation. JUSA demonstrates our ability to adapt proven strategies to meet the evolving needs of investors in today’s dynamic market and is an exciting addition to our active U.S. ETF offerings.”

BlackRock Offers Access to Liquid Alternatives with Managed Futures ETF

BlackRock Inc. introduced the iShares Managed Futures Active ETF (CBOE: ISMF), a liquid alternative strategy managed by Jeffrey Rosenberg, Richard Mathieson and Stephanie Lee.

ISMF employs a disciplined long/short approach to seek differentiated sources of return across market cycles, according to the announcement. The strategy is a potential portfolio hedge against market weakness and can be used as a diversifier by investing in non-traditional asset classes, including futures and derivatives, which have a tendency of low long-term correlation to traditional stocks and bonds across market cycles. It provides investors access to BlackRock’s $306 billion Systematic investment platform within an ETF wrapper.

“Managed Futures strategies have proven effective in delivering differentiated, counter-cyclical returns for investors over decades,” said Raffaele Savi, global head of BlackRock’s Systematic, in a statement. “ISMF can help more investors hedge and diversify their portfolios, regardless of market conditions.”

PensionBee Adds Roth and Contribution Capabilities To Mobile App

Online retirement provider PensionBee Inc. added Roth and traditional individual retirement account contribution capabilities to its mobile app.

PensionBee’s U.S. app provides a streamlined solution for combining old workplace 401(k)s and IRAs into a modern retirement account, according to the company. This update means all users are now eligible to make tax-advantaged contributions directly through the platform, providing greater flexibility and control over their retirement planning.

“We launched in the U.S. intent on placing retirement control back into consumers’ hands,” said Romi Savova, PensionBee’s CEO, in a statement. “Enabling Roth and traditional IRA contributions is the next step toward that goal, and a timely one, as U.S. consumers struggle against a backdrop of confusing retirement solutions.”

SMArtX Advisory Solutions Adds 5 Strategies to Manager Marketplace

SMArtX Advisory Solutions, a provider of unified managed accounts technology, added five strategies from leading asset management firms to its Manager Marketplace, now offering 1,547 strategies from 323 distinguished asset management firms.

Vulcan Value Partners, new to the platform, added a focus strategy, while Argent Capital Management, Main Management, NorthCoast Asset Management and Weatherstone Capital Management expanded their current offerings to respectively include focused small cap, hedged equity, equity income and tactical short-term bond strategies.

“We are thrilled to welcome these new strategies from respected asset managers to the SMArtX platform,” Brad Haag, SMArtX’s executive vice president of asset manager solutions, said in a statement. “As the second quarter approaches, we look forward to working with asset managers to further enhance the advisor experience with SMArtX.”

ARS Selects SS&C to Support Suite of Guaranteed Income Products

ARS, a guaranteed lifetime income solutions and technology provider for the defined contribution market, has partnered with SS&C Retirement Solutions to distribute and service its suite of Lifetime Income Builder retirement products.

ARS’ Lifetime Income Builder products, group fixed-indexed annuities with a guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit, will be available to recordkeepers on SS&C’s Retirement Income Clearing & Calculation platform. ARS will gain access to distribution opportunities across recordkeeping platforms for its suite of target-date funds integrated with Lifetime Income Builder, according to the companies. Recordkeepers can add Lifetime Income Builder funds to their offerings through their CUSIPs.

“To change the way Americans retire, we have to make it easier for recordkeepers to offer innovative solutions like Lifetime Income Builder,” said ARS Chief Operating Officer Abby Canfield in a statement. “The integration of the Lifetime Income Builder-based solutions and ecosystem with the SS&C RICC platform enables this by creating seamless fund administration capabilities.”