Prudential Delivers Target Date Funds with a Renewed Focus on Plan Participants

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Updated

Prudential Delivers Target Date Funds with a Renewed Focus on Plan Participants

NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Every day for the next 20 years, 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 and many of them will be unprepared to retire. To help these individuals address this challenge, the retirement and investment management businesses of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYS: PRU) , are delivering their Day One Funds with a renewed focus on engaging plan participants through the company's suite of Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA) eligible retirement planning products. The Day One name leverages the success of the company's Day One advertising campaign aimed at inspiring plan participants to think about their day one of retirement and share their stories.

Based on proprietary research, the average American life expectancy is estimated to be 83 years by 2050. This increased life expectancy brings with it the challenge of funding retirements that can last 30 years or more. As a result, the funds are modeled with the assumption that participants may live to 95.


"Now more than ever before, American workers need solutions that help them reach their 'Day One' of retirement confident that they will have the income they need for all the days that follow," said Jamie Kalamarides, senior vice president, Institutional Investment Solutions, Prudential Retirement. "The funds are an example of Prudential's commitment to help address the complexity of retirement planning."

Issued by Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, the Day One Funds will be available to eligible retirement plans and are based on the analysis of real savings rates and employer contributions from 850,000 plan participants. The funds feature a competitive glide path designed to help improve investment return potential in early years, and then shift allocation to help manage risk as participants move toward and beyond retirement.

The glide path begins with a 97 percent allocation to U.S. and international equities, commodities and real estate to provide for potential growth. As the participant ages and nears the Retirement Red Zone®—the 10 years before and after retirement—exposure to equities decreases and the funds significantly shift to more conservative investments. The exposure to equities continues to decrease during retirement and the asset allocation stabilizes 10 years after the target date at 26% equities, 9% commodities and real estate and 65% fixed income.

"The Day One Funds represent a target date fund strategy that seeks competitive returns while helping protect against market risk through diversification," said Michael Rosenberg senior vice president, Prudential Investments. "We understand the challenges and complex choices participants face with investing for retirement. In response, we're developing tools designed to engage plan participants in a meaningful way to help humanize these important investment decisions," he added.

A key feature of the funds, sub-advised by Quantitative Management Associates, an asset management affiliate of Prudential Financial, is the inclusion of non-traditional asset classes, like commodities and real estate, as well as Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS).

The funds include a competitive four-year track record, are offered in five-year increments through 2060 as well as the Income Fund for current retirees and individuals nearing retirement, and are available in 12 diversified portfolios across multiple share classes. Other key features include:

  • Equity exposure across market capitalization and geography to provide access to a broad opportunity set

  • Utilization of active, passive and quantitatively managed strategies to further provide diversification and balance

  • Fixed income asset classes to help provide stability as the target date approaches

  • Non-traditional asset classes to offer potential for increased returns with low correlation to stocks and bonds and the potential to hedge inflation

  • Private real estate and TIPS to help mitigate market volatility

  • Cost-effective fee structure is being offered across all Day One Funds

Prudential Retirement delivers retirement plan solutions for public, private, and non-profit organizations. Services include state-of-the-art record keeping, administrative services, investment management, comprehensive employee investment education and communications, and trustee services. With over 85 years of retirement experience, Prudential Retirement helps meet the needs of over 3.8 million participants and annuitants. Prudential

Retirement has $301.8 billion in retirement account values as of June 30, 2013. Prudential Day One Funds are separate accounts available under group annuity contracts issued by Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (PRIAC), Hartford, CT, a Prudential Financial company PRIAC is solely responsible for its own contractual obligations and financial condition.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYS: PRU) , a financial services leader with more than $1 trillion of assets under management as of June 30, 2013, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.

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Prudential Financial, Inc.
Darrell Oliver, 973-802-9627
darrell.oliver@prudential.com
or
Dawn Kelly, 973-802-7134
dawn.kelly@prudential.com
or
Theresa Miller, 973-802-7455
theresa.miller@prudential.com

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