HomeMy Public PortalAbout2012 2nd Quarter ReportDefined Contribution PlanSecond Quarter 2012 Plan Executive SummaryJuly 31, 2012Kristin Finney-Cooke, CAIA Senior ConsultantKristen Jackson, CFA Senior Analyst
Executive SummaryMetropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Defined Contribution PlanPLAN ASSETS: $370 THOUSAND54%6%40%3 Month Change: Up $75 ThousandTarget Date FundsLifestyle OptionsCore OptionsPerformance•Stocks sold-off during the quarter and losses were incurred by most Plan funds, with the exception of capital preservation, bonds and near-dated target date fundsManager Due Diligence•There was an announcement affecting all Vanguard Plan funds; the action was rated “No Action” by our Due Diligence CommitteeAdditional Items•July 1st was the deadline for receipt of 408(b)(2) notices. NEPC will support your review of Plan fees with our annual Plan and Fee Survey, which is underway.•This quarter we have included a regulatory update and fiduciary training on Defined Contribution fee benchmarkingCAPITAL MARKETS PERFORMANCE: QUARTERBONDSDOMESTIC EQUITYFOREIGNEQUITY 2010 TARGET DATE 2040 TARGET DATE2.0%BarCap Agg Index-2.8%S&P 500 Index-7.6%MSCI ACWI ex US Index-1.2%S&P TDF 2010 Index-4.0%S&P TDF 2040 IndexPLAN PERFORMANCE: QUARTERRANGE OF CORE FUND RETURNSRANGE OF TARGET DATE FUND RETURNSASSET WEIGHTED PLAN RETURN-7.9% to 2.1% -3.8% to 0.3% -3.0%Vanguard Intn’lGrowthVanguard Total Bond2040204520502055IncomeQUARTERLY UPDATESRECENT ACTIONS/RECOMMENDATIONSRecent Actions•The 2055 Target Date Fund was added to the Plan line-upWatch Status•No Plan funds are currently on NEPC’s “Watch” statusRecommendations•NEPC is not recommending any actions at this time either in view of the recent quarter’s developments or any of the longer-term trending data in this reportAs of June 30, 2012
The items below summarize any changes or announcements from your Plan managers/funds. A “Yes” indicates there was an announcement and a summary is provided separately. NEPC’s Due Diligence Committee meets every two weeks to review events as they relate to investment managers and determines if any action should be taken by NEPC and/or by our clients. They rate events: No Action, Watch, Hold, Client Review or Terminate. NEPC considers ourselves to be a fiduciary, as ERISA defines the term in Section 3(21). NEPC Due Diligence Committee Recommendation KeyNo ActionInformational items have surfaced; no action is recommended.WatchIssues have surfaced to be concerned over; manager can participate in future searches, but current and prospectiveclients must be made aware of the issues.Hold Serious issues have surfaced to be concerned over; manager cannot be in future searches unless a clientspecifically requests, but current and prospective clients must be made aware of the issues.Client Review Very serious issues have surfaced with a manager; manager cannot be in future searches unless a client specificallyrequests. Current clients must be advised to review the manager.Terminate We have lost all confidence in the product; manager would not be recommended for searches and clients would bediscouraged from using. The manager cannot be in future searches unless a client specifically requests. Currentclients must be advised to replace the manager.A legend key to our recommendations is provided below.Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Defined Contribution PlanPlan Manager/FundManager Changes/Announcements (Recent Quarter)NEPC Due Diligence Committee RecommendationsVanguard Target Retirement FundsYes No ActionVanguard LifeStrategy FundsYes No ActionVanguard Prime Money MarketYes No ActionVanguard Retirement Savings TrustYes No ActionVanguard Total Bond Market IndexYes No ActionVanguard Balanced IndexYes No ActionVanguard Windsor IIYes No ActionVanguard 500 IndexYes No ActionVanguard U.S. GrowthYes No ActionDue Diligence MonitorAs of June 30, 2012
The items below summarize any changes or announcements from your Plan managers/funds. A “Yes” indicates there was an announcement and a summary is provided separately. NEPC’s Due Diligence Committee meets every two weeks to review events as they relate to investment managers and determines if any action should be taken by NEPC and/or by our clients. They rate events: No Action, Watch, Hold, Client Review or Terminate. NEPC considers ourselves to be a fiduciary, as ERISA defines the term in Section 3(21). NEPC Due Diligence Committee Recommendation KeyNo ActionInformational items have surfaced; no action is recommended.WatchIssues have surfaced to be concerned over; manager can participate in future searches, but current and prospectiveclients must be made aware of the issues.Hold Serious issues have surfaced to be concerned over; manager cannot be in future searches unless a clientspecifically requests, but current and prospective clients must be made aware of the issues.Client Review Very serious issues have surfaced with a manager; manager cannot be in future searches unless a client specificallyrequests. Current clients must be advised to review the manager.Terminate We have lost all confidence in the product; manager would not be recommended for searches and clients would bediscouraged from using. The manager cannot be in future searches unless a client specifically requests. Currentclients must be advised to replace the manager.A legend key to our recommendations is provided below.Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Defined Contribution PlanDue Diligence MonitorPlan Manager/FundManager Changes/Announcements (Recent Quarter)NEPC Due Diligence Committee RecommendationsVanguard Mid Cap IndexYes No ActionVanguard Small Cap Index Yes No ActionVanguard International GrowthYes No ActionAs of June 30, 2012
Below is a summary of manager changes, announcements and due diligence events since the issuance of our last quarterly report. Manager Changes/AnnouncementsVanguard Index•Vanguard announced on June 22ndMr. George U. “Gus” Sauter, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, will retire at year end, effective December 31, 2012. Gus Sauter joined Vanguard in 1987 and has been applauded by Vanguard’s CEO Bill McNabb for his dedication and service in helping Vanguard to emerge as a world class investment management firm. Mr. Sauter will continue to oversee Vanguard’s Global Investment Management Groups through the end of the year.•Mr. Sauter responsibilities will transition to Mr. Mortimer J. “Tim” Buckley, Managing Director of Vanguard’s Retail investor Group, who has been with the firm since 1991. Mr. Buckley has served in many prominent leadership roles at Vanguard in his tenure. Mr. Buckley will assume oversight for Vanguard’s investment management teams who manage aggregate assets of approximately $1.6 trillion. •NEPC views this announcement as proper succession planning for the next generation at Vanguard. Mr. Buckley has been at Vanguard for over twenty years and is very close to the culture that has contributed to Vanguard's success. •“No Action” is recommended.Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Defined Contribution PlanDue Diligence CommentaryAs of June 30, 2012
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