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TORONTO, April 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Manulife Investment Management has announced updates to its flagship target-date funds suite in Canada available to Manulife group retirement customers. The most notable update is the suite has been renamed from Manulife Target-Date Funds to Manulife Retirement Date Index+ Funds.*
There is no change to the funds' objective to help investors save for retirement, but the new name more clearly articulates the retirement focus of the suite. It also better conveys the funds' approach of combining active and passive underlying strategies that allow fees to be lower as compared to a purely actively managed fund, while maintaining diversification benefits. The funds have also been added to the Manulife i-Watch® platform and are available to all group retirement customers to choose for their retirement plans. There are no changes to the investment strategy or fees for the funds.
The Manulife Retirement Date Index+ Funds suite follows what is referred to as a through-retirement glide path that specifically aims to protect against longevity risk—the risk of individuals outliving their retirement savings. It does this by maintaining some exposure to asset classes that have the potential to grow savings after retirement.
"Asset allocation remains one of the most critical investment decisions to impact portfolio returns, and this is especially important in more volatile periods where risk management and long-term positioning is key. We believe that plan sponsors and plan members need access to a broad investment universe, including alternatives and private assets, to achieve long-term consistent returns. Our Retirement Date Index+ Funds aim to deliver a compelling lower-cost solution to sponsors and members with exposure to active and passive underlying strategies, backed by our longstanding track record of performance since 2014," said James Robertson, senior portfolio manager, head of asset allocation, Canada, and global head of tactical allocation, Manulife Investment Management.
"We have seen tremendous response to our target-date funds since they were launched nearly 10 years ago as sponsors, advisors, and members recognize the value the suite offers—especially over the long term," added Brett Marchand, head of retirement, Canada, Manulife. "The availability of the suite on the i-Watch® platform provides broader access to the expertise of the investment team as we partner with our clients to help people confidently save and invest so they can achieve their retirement goals."
*The Retirement Date Index+ funds are offered by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company.
Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the Global Wealth and Asset Management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 19 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2022, we had more than 40,000 employees, over 116,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 34 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.
Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.
SOURCE Manulife Investment Management
Media contact: Elizabeth Bartlett, [email protected]
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