New software aims to reduce risk in target-date funds

New software aims to reduce risk in target-date funds
Soteria blends personalized safe-landing target-date fund glide paths with the personalization of managed accounts.
JAN 23, 2023

A new software solution aims to combine the best parts of target-date funds and managed accounts in 401(k) plans.

Target Date Solutions Monday announced the release of Soteria, a technology that blends personalized safe-landing target-date fund glide paths with the personalization of managed accounts. TDFs are the most popular qualified default investment alternative for defined-contribution plans, while managed accounts are the second most popular.

Ronald Surz, president of Target Date Solutions, said the benefits of Soteria include a better management of sequence of return risk compared with other QDIAs, a patented design with a 16-year track record, and a cost below 20 basis points, which is typically less than half of the fees charged for managed accounts.

“Our pioneering innovation equips record keepers with software that revolutionizes 401(k) investing for both defaulted and self-directed participants,” Surz said in a statement.

Surz has been a leading voice in the retirement industry regarding the unseen risks of target-date funds, especially when they near or reach maturation. In 2022, for example, target-date funds performed poorly as a result of the severe market corrections in both the equity and fixed-income markets.

Soteria is designed to correct potential imbalances by better integrating participants' anticipated retirement age with their level of risk tolerance, as well as utilizing safe landing, low-risk investments that are within a participant's risk zone.

Latest News

Advisor moves: RBC swipes $1.7B UBS team, Baird duo departs for LPL's Linsco channel
Advisor moves: RBC swipes $1.7B UBS team, Baird duo departs for LPL's Linsco channel

RBC Wealth Management's latest move in New York adds an elite eight-member team to its recently opened Westchester office.

Stifel star broker, Chuck Roberts, leaves firm under cloud of investor complaints
Stifel star broker, Chuck Roberts, leaves firm under cloud of investor complaints

Stifel – so far - is on the hook for more than $166 million in damages, legal fees and settlements in investor complaints involving Roberts, a 35-year industry veteran.

iCapital secures $820M in latest funding, hits $7.5B
iCapital secures $820M in latest funding, hits $7.5B

The giant alt investments platform's latest financing led by T. Rowe Price and SurgoCap Partners, along with State Street, UBS, and BNY, will fuel additional growth on multiple fronts.

Merrill Lynch on the hook for $3.7M after clients claimed sale of unsuitable private equity
Merrill Lynch on the hook for $3.7M after clients claimed sale of unsuitable private equity

Some investors recently have seen million dollar plus decisions by FINRA arbitration panels involving complex products decisions go their way.

What does it take to feel 'financially comfortable' or 'wealthy' in 2025?
What does it take to feel 'financially comfortable' or 'wealthy' in 2025?

New report shines a light on how Americans view wealth today.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.