MassMutual's New Pension Funding Scorecard Helps Defined Benefit Plan Sponsors and Advisors Evaluate Investment Performance of LDI vs. Traditional Portfolios

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For defined benefit plan sponsors and retirement plan advisors who are concerned about the impact of market volatility on the funded status of their pension plans, MassMutual has a new Pension Funding Scorecard to help them more effectively evaluate portfolio performance.

MassMutual's Pension Funding Scorecard provides a quarter-by-quarter performance comparison for a liability-driven investing (LDI) portfolio vs. a traditional 60% equity/40% fixed income portfolio against the MassMutual Pension Liability Index (MMPLI). The MMPLI is based on aggregating data from defined benefit plans on MassMutual's Retirement Services platform. In addition, MassMutual's Pension Funding Scorecard provides historical returns to help retirement plan advisors, plan administrators and chief financial officers make informed decisions about pension funding approaches. "We are seeing a clear trend among pension plan decision-makers to take a closer look at pension funding volatility. LDI can provide a more predictable approach to managing pension plan assets and liabilities," says Marc Condon, assistant vice president and actuary, MassMutual's Retirement Services Division. "The Pension Funding Scorecard provides a detailed picture of how well LDI portfolios have tracked pension liabilities compared to traditional 60/40 portfolios."

In recent years, LDI has achieved increasing attention for its ability to help mitigate the volatility and unpredictability of pension plan funding status. Proponents advocate that LDI can enable better management of cash flow and more effectively align asset and liability returns over time while streamlining plan administration. In addition, LDI can often help reduce concerns associated with downturns in the equity markets, an issue that has spurred heightened interest in LDI among CFOs and pension committees.

In addition to reporting on portfolio performance, MassMutual's Pension Funding Scorecard provides definitions of commonly used terminology and provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding liability-driven investing and pension funding in general.

MassMutual has been serving the defined benefit plan market for more than 65 years and offers an integrated, consultative team approach to help retirement plan fiduciaries achieve a more predictable plan funding strategy under one experienced provider.

To request a copy of MassMutual's Pension Funding Scorecard, please contact your retirement plan advisor or MassMutual Retirement Services at (888) 626-4911.

About MassMutual

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) [of which Retirement Services is a division] and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders every year since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company's strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

MassMutual's Retirement Services Division has been serving retirement plans for 65 years. It offers a full range of products and services for corporate, union, nonprofit and governmental employers' defined benefit, defined contribution and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. It serves approximately 1.3 million participants.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or "Like" MassMutual on Facebook and Facebook.com/retiresmart.

Copyright © 2011 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001. All rights reserved.

Contact: Lisa Reilly
413-744-0589
[email protected]

SOURCE MassMutual Retirement Services

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