For many US pension plan sponsors, the déjà vu of falling discount rates and volatile equity markets again raises the question of how best to hedge pension liabilities, if at all. The issue of liability hedging is especially pertinent in today’s complex and asymmetrical interest rate environment.
October 2020
With the initial chaos of the COVID-19 market dislocation behind us but uncertainty still ahead, now is the time to refocus and potentially recalibrate core tenets of pension plan management. In this video series, we share our recommendations on how to address these challenges.
October 2020
Pensions face critical investment and management challenges as COVID-19 impacts capital markets. For single-employer plans, we have found that liquidity, rebalancing, implementation and communication are key issues to keep in mind.
May 2020
As the COVID-19 outbreak has escalated in the United States, sponsors of single employer–defined benefit pension plans have experienced a roller coaster ride. Avoiding, or at least cushioning, another wild ride requires a well-designed hedging strategy that accounts for credit spreads. We provide context for this rapidly evolving spread environment and potential responses.
April 2020
April 8, 2020 - The economic impact from the COVID-19 virus has been swift, creating a dichotomy between “risk-free” Treasury interest rates and corporate spreads. In this paper, we outline how hedging programs may need to re-align their strategies given the current circumstances while continuing to lean on the basics.
April 2020
Recent years have seen challenges for hedge funds and a shift toward low-fee passive and alternative risk premia (ARP) products in investor portfolios. In this paper, we investigate whether ARP and hedge funds are complementary or whether ARP funds are actually a viable replacement for hedge funds.
January 2020
While many plan sponsors have adapted to dramatic interest rate swings by strategically hedging their liability interest rate risk, some balk when interest rates are low. But failing to hedge long-duration liabilities with long-duration assets can expose sponsors to significant downside risk.
November 2019
A universal approach to portfolio construction can help schemes achieve required return targets whilst adding additional upside from alpha generation; reduce risk through true diversification; and generate sufficient income to comfortably meet both planned and unplanned cashflow needs.
November 2019
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Managing Director, Pension Practice