Defined benefit (“DB”) plans in the U.S. account for $2.3 trillion in assets and cover nearly 42 million plan participants, of whom over 20 million are active employees, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.1 Though shrinking in number, these traditional employee benefit plans remain an important part of the investment and retirement security landscape.
Qatar Investment Authority chief warns banks to open up
The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is looking closely at taking stakes in banks across the US, Europe and Asia but its chief executive, prime minister, Sheik Hamad Al-Thani, warns banks to be open if they want to have meaningful relationships with sovereign wealth funds.
Dutch fund stumps up for collateral risk solution
In a sign of the paranoid times, huge Dutch pension administrator Mn Services has installed a collateral management offering, which forms part of a counterparty risk management suite tailored for this environment by Omgeo.
The New Gatekeepers: Winning Business Models for Investments Outsourcing
Abstract: This report defines and explains the rise of investments outsourcing – the practice of delegating part or all of a portfolio to third-party, multi-asset specialists – among U.S. institutional
investors. The study presents key findings from a Casey Quirk survey of more than 20 of America’s largest investments outsourcing vendors.
10 reasons why hedge fund activism will surge in 2009
Combating the ineptitude and excesses of poorly-managed company boards as the financial crisis progresses ensures that activist hedge funds are facing what could be their busiest year in the past decade. Here are 10 reasons why, originally put forward in Seeking Alpha. 1. Democrats are in the White House. In the Democrat tradition, the US … Read more
Fed announces custodian for Freddie, Fannie MBS program
The US Federal Reserve has chosen J.P. Morgan to provide custodial services for its program to purchase mortgage-backed securities (MBS) from now nationalised government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae.
