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The Home of DC Solutions

Where we care as much about the unique needs of members, as you do.

A Seamless Journey for Savers and Retirees

Successful DC pension schemes will be those that utilise innovative investment solutions to facilitate the flexibility their savers require.

Uniquely Flexible by Design

Ready-Built

Ready-Built Strategy Broadly Suitable for all UK DC Savers 

Tailored

Tailored Strategy with Asset Allocation Specific To Your Members’ Needs

Bespoke

Bespoke Strategy Includes Plan-Specific Allocations and Funds

Our Target Date Fund (TDF) suite continues beyond members’ retirement saving to provide pragmatic solutions for retirement income. The member journey can be delivered within a multi-phase structure or via an innovative, single-phase ‘default’. Both approaches seek to create a seamless and simple transition for retirees that wish to remain invested or begin to receive income in retirement.

 

Our Solutions

AB’s suite of solutions offers pension schemes the ability to meet the changing needs for a wide range of members. Freeing them from complex decision-making and supporting them to save up to and throughout retirement.
These simple to implement solutions are proactively managed to deliver optimal member outcomes in all market conditions, whilst minimising the governance burden for trustees and employers alike.

  1. The Savings Phase
  2. The Active and Senior Retirement Phase
  3. Integrated Approach

Core

  • Our core TDF range, known as Retirement StrategiesSM.

  • Deep multi-asset and retirement research underpins a diversified asset allocation plan to best meet the long-term objectives of members. It utilises dynamic adjustments and currency management to manage short-to-medium term risks.

  • Asset allocation is implemented via primarily systematic exposures. It includes a wide array of asset class, geographies and style exposures within equities, fixed income and diversifying investments.

  • It integrates material ESG considerations and acts primarily to manage investment risk more effectively. That includes the use of both positive and negative screens, as well as specialist allocations.

Sustainable

  • Our sustainable TDF range, known as Sustainable Retirement StrategiesSM.

  • The strategy is designed for investors who wish to tilt exposures toward investments that contribute to positive environmental and social outcomes, while also avoiding investment in the most controversial business activities.

  • Like our core offering, the strategy seeks diversification across the broadest range of asset classes and approaches that meet its sustainable and financial objectives. It also benefits from proactive management of asset allocation and currency to manage risks.

  • The strategy includes active sustainable allocations (across equities, fixed income and multi-asset). This enables a greater focus on sustainability themes (Climate, Health, Empowerment) and the bottom-up selection of attractive investments aligned with the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Active

  • Our active TDF range, known as Active Retirement StrategiesSM.

  • This strategy is designed for investors who believe that active management in the selection of equity and fixed income securities can enhance returns. It allocates more significantly to active allocations managed by AB and third-party investment managers.

  • Like our other offerings, the strategy seeks diversification across the broadest range of asset classes and approaches to best meet members’ long-term objectives. It also benefits from proactive management of asset allocation and currency to manage risks.

  • It integrates material ESG considerations and acts primarily to manage investment risk more effectively. That includes the use of both positive and negative screens, as well as specialist allocations.

Custom

  • We have significant experience building and managing custom strategies that integrate the unique preferences and objectives of our clients and their members.

  • This allows us to build custom retirement strategies that extend beyond our other retirement strategies. For example, these strategies could reflect specific material ESG goals, such a greater focus on climate change, or it could be specific solutions to support self-select investors.

Retirement Bridge

Active Retirement - TDF range
 

  • For schemes that want to offer a member-friendly, low-cost income drawdown option, we have built a range of income-paying TDFs, known as Retirement BridgeSM.

  • This strategy aims to maximise a retiree’s monthly income, which is set annually (but paid monthly) by taking into account the need for income sustainability and maintaining or growing income purchasing power.

  • It seeks to pay this income through to the age of 75, where we expect
    retirees to reconsider their investment arrangements as they move into senior retirement – whether that be a secure and guaranteed annuity income or to remain invested for the purposes of inheritance.

Evergreen Income

Senior Retirement – Standalone Funds 
 

  • For senior retirees with sufficient income that wish to instead focus on capital preservation with the ability to pass on benefits on death to a directed beneficiary or a lump sum payment to the estate, our Retirement BridgeSM Evergreen Income Fund is a flexible solution.

  • Unlike an annuity, members retain ownership of their capital, and there is the flexibility to make additional withdrawals.

Whole of Life - TDF range

For Savings and Income Drawdown
 
  • We aim to make retirement planning, and drawing an income, as simple and seamless as possible. To support this, we’ve pioneered an innovative new retirement journey. We’ve built a range of to-and-through TDFs, which we call whole-of-life TDFs, that combine our expertise across accumulation (Retirement StrategiesSM) and decumulation (Retirement BridgeSM) into a single strategy.

  • By deploying both accumulating and distributing share classes in a single strategy, we enable an easy and transparent switch from building retirement savings into income drawdown without the need for switching from one investment product to another at no cost to members.

  • Retirees can take a sustainable income through to an age set by the scheme or provider – for example to age 95.

  • Retirees retain full flexibility to access their pension savings, take extra withdrawals, or move the entirety of their savings at any time without penalty.

  • Consistent with all our solutions, there is daily portfolio management oversight.

Target Date Funds Explained

The asset allocation of a TDF is constructed with a target or anticipated retirement window in mind. The fund is managed to ensure that as that window approaches, the asset allocation is adjusted–or ‘de-risked’–from predominantly growth assets deployed during the accumulation phase, to more stable assets in the run up to retirement. Each member’s pension savings are invested into one age-based fund, which is designed to meet their needs throughout their working life and potentially into retirement, should they wish to take an income.


This simple, single-fund approach is easy for savers to understand and helps to improve engagement, moving their focus from the idea of investment choices to savings rates and potential outcomes.

Contact Us

For more information, please contact: 

Michelle Inskip

Managing Director-UK Institutional Group
+44 (0)207 959 4784
Michelle.inskip@alliancebernstein.com



 

This is a marketing communication. This information is provided by AllianceBernstein Limited, 60 London Wall, London, EC2M 5SJ. Registered in England, No. 2551144. AllianceBernstein Limited is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA - Reference Number 147956).  It is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an invitation to purchase any security or other investment. The views and opinions expressed are based on our internal forecasts and should not be relied upon as an indication of future market performance. The value of investments in any of the Funds can go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This information is directed at Professional Clients only and is not intended for public use.

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