Research, news and events
For institutional investors
Mesirow helps expand 401GO’s retirement plan offering
We are pleased to announce that Mesirow has been selected to provide outsourced 3(38) fiduciary services for the 401GO recordkeeping system. Planned future enhancements to include custom default solutions, and broader lineup fiduciary and reporting solutions.
Mesirow launches Fiduciary Partnership Services at Capital Group
June 2024 | We are pleased to announce that Mesirow has launched an integrated fiduciary program with Capital Group, home of American Funds®. Mesirow will provide ERISA 3(21) and 3(38) Fiduciary Partnership Services to plan sponsors and their advisors that use Capital Group’s turnkey products, RecordkeeperDirect® and PlanPremier®.
Mesirow joins the new Fidelity Retirement Edge platform
May 2024 | Mesirow is one of three 3(21) fiduciaries on the new Fidelity 401(k) platform. In a recent 401(K) Wire article, Vincent Vicidomini described working with Fidelity Retirement Edge as "a natural extension of Mesirow's decade-long work with Fidelity's retirement plan business. We consider this a ‘win-win’ for Mesirow and for advisors, TPAs, plan sponsors, participants and for Fidelity itself.”
Mesirow tapped by WEX to serve as RIA
December 2023 | WEX, one of the nation’s largest HSA custodians, has selected Mesirow to provide RIA services to their extensive client base. This appointment brings Mesirow's ERISA investment expertise further into the HSA marketplace. In serving WEX clients, Mesirow will construct investment programs that address HSA account holder needs and provide tax-free savings for medical expenses now and into retirement.
Mesirow named 3(38) for Paychex Pooled Employer Plan (PEP)
December 2020 | Paychex announced the launch of a Pooled Employer Plan to help businesses nationwide provide a cost-effective retirement plan option for their employees. Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions serves as the 3(38) investment fiduciary.
Mesirow named 3(38) fiduciary for Everyday 401(k) by JPMorgan
October 2020 | JPMorgan Chase announced the launch of Everyday 401(k) by J.P. Morgan, giving the firm's thousands of small business clients and their employees the ability to simply plan, save and invest for retirement. All plans will have a single investment menu that is created and monitored by Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions, which serves as an independent fiduciary under Section 3(38) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
Mesirow PrecisionAlpha
This paper explores the impact of using trailing return to predict future performance. The results may not be what many investors expect.
Learn morePortfolio inflation hedges
Financial assets, in general, perform very poorly in high inflation environments, with negative inflation-adjusted (real) returns being the norm. This paper reviews a variety of potential inflation hedge strategies including TIPS, specific equity sectors (like energy), commodities and REITs.
Learn moreThe case for re-enrollment
Proactive plan design elements, such as auto-enrollment and auto-escalation, represent industry best practice and have become the norm among plan sponsors. Their presence results in better participant outcomes, particularly when used in an opt-out fashion.
Learn moreQDIA: GRI allocations
Most retirement savers both under-save for retirement and potentially face a serious return drag from sub-optimal, market chasing behavior—Guaranteed Retirement Income (GRI) products can help.
Learn moreQDIA: Managed Accounts
In this paper, we review evidence of retirement under-saving and potential solutions, as well as empirical evidence regarding investor reaction to negative market returns.
Learn moreWe value “Peace of Mind”
We propose an innovative evaluation framework for Guaranteed Retirement Income (GRI) products based on their individual merits and compare them to retirement income strategies constructed from ordinary investments that a typical investor would use within a defined contribution plan.
Learn moreTarget Date Funds: An industry overview
Target Date Funds (TDFs) are often used in a QDIA setting as a means of providing retirement savers with a one-stop solution. We provide an overview of asset class allocations for the TDF lifecycle glide paths and benchmarks.
Learn moreOne of these things is not like the other
Mesirow's target date glide path construction differs from the competition.
Learn moreInternational asset allocation optimization
In this paper, we use 50 years of MSCI data to examine international investing in the context of asset allocation and mean variance optimization.
Learn moreMesirow hosts session on HSA's at SPARK
Vincent Vicidomini and Emily Griffin from Mesirow's Human Resources recently presented at the WEX SPARK Conference. Their session focused on how Health Savings Account (HSA) programs contribute to broader employee healthcare strategies and financial wellness. With Vincent moderating, Emily shared insights on Mesirow’s successful transition to a new HSA platform, along with the company’s approach to communicating and educating employees on these important benefits.
Mesirow joined Paychex on a retirement plan trends webinar
December 2024 | Jason Bianchi joined Paychex on a recent webinar to discuss “Opportunities in the small plan retirement market for financial advisors.”
Leaders in lifetime income
Chris O’Neill talks about the importance of integrating lifetime income into the default solution through custom target date funds that have a guaranteed income sleeve.
Inflation hedges: Portfolio implications
Financial assets, in general, perform very poorly in high inflation environments, with negative inflation-adjusted (real) returns being the norm. This webinar reviews a variety of potential inflation hedge strategies including TIPS, specific equity sectors (like energy), commodities and REITs.
Mesirow joined WEX on stage during the Spark 2024 conference in Orlando, FL.
October 2024 | Keith Gustafson and Vincent Vicidomini provided attendees with key insights into HSA investor trends, opportunities to modernize HSA investing and maximizing overall value for HSA investors.
Mesirow shares insights into the value of HSAs
May 2024 | Jason Bianchi joined Melinda Caughill at the Broadridge 360 Advisor Summit in a discussion entitled Medicare & HSAs – The Perfect Pairing for Retirement Planning. Jason shared insights into the value that HSAs offer to investors and their financial advisors.
Stable Value Funds: Benefits in an inflationary environment
This webinar explores the role that stable value investments play in a retirement portfolio in an inflationary and rising interest rate environment.
Mesirow shares insights into HSA investor trends
April 2024 | Keith Gustafson and Vincent Vicidomini joined WEX on stage during the Spark 2024 conference in Orlando, FL. Mesirow provided attendees with key insights into HSA investor trends, opportunities to modernize HSA investing and maximizing overall value for HSA investors.
Jason Bianchi discusses opportunities for retirement advisors
March 2024 | Jason Bianchi joined ePlan and Dimensional Fund Advisors in a panel discussion about the significant growth opportunities for financial advisors focusing on small-business retirement plans.
Mesirow participates in Retirement Income Forum
September 2023 | During the State Street Global Advisors Retirement Income Forum in Boston, Christopher O'Neill was joined by Jimmy Veneruso, Head of DC product at SSGA to discuss the benefits and considerations of various insurance product types within the Guaranteed Retirement Income product landscape.
Mesirow participates in SPARK 2021 Forum
November 2021 | Christopher O’Neill participated in a retirement income panel discussion entitled “Is your 401k a savings plan or a retirement plan?” He discussed how recordkeepers can incorporate guaranteed income to enhance 401k plan design from a retirement savings vehicle to a retirement income provider.
SVIA Fall Forum: Trends in DC Investments
October 2021 | Christopher O’Neill, Chief Investment Officer and Director of Quantitative Research, recently participated in a lively panel discussion entitled Trends in DC Investments: A Fiduciary Point of View at the Stable Value Investment Association (SVIA) Fall Forum. Chris discussed relevant plan design trends within the DC landscape, including custom default solutions, growing adoption of ERISA 3(38) services and the role of stable value within menu and portfolio construction.
New York Stable Value Investments and UBS: Capital Preservation Options
October 2021 | Christopher O’Neill recently partnered with New York Stable Value Investments to host a webinar for UBS retirement plan consultants on Capital Preservation Options for Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans. Chris discussed a variety of stable value product structures and criteria for their evaluation and selection for an investment lineup.
How can 401(k)s best integrate retirement income into an investment lineup?
February 4, 2021 | Vincent Vicidomini, SVP with Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions, recently joined Prudential Retirement to share their thoughts on the current state of retirement income products following the 2020 SECURE Act. Thanks to the Retirement Advisor Council (RAC) for hosting this important event.
Neither principal nor the underlying assets of target date investments are guaranteed at any time, including the target date, and investment risk remains at all time. There is no assurance that the recommended asset allocation will either maximize returns or minimize risk or be the appropriate allocation in all circumstances for every investor with a particular time horizon. Advisory services offered by Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc., an SEC-Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through Mesirow Financial, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC. Advisory Fees are described in Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc.’s Part 2A of the Form ADV. Mesirow refers to Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. and its divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates. The Mesirow name and logo are registered service marks of Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc.