CITs offer reasonable, cost-efficient investment options and they can help plan sponsors fulfill their fiduciary duty. As tax-exempt, pooled investment vehicles—available only to DC and other ERISA-qualified plans—CITs are now used in more than 75% of plans.
CITs: Myths & Facts
This two-minute video explains how CITs can be a versatile, cost-effective and competitive alternative to mutual funds.
Why Consider CITs?
How CITs Add Value
For qualifying retirement accounts, CITs have lower administrative costs and a lower-cost structure than mutual funds.
Over the life of the plan, expense savings can result in better outcomes for participants.
CITs are easy to implement and operationally equal to mutual funds.
AB's CIT Products
- Core Strategies
- Packaged Target-Date Strategies
US Large Cap Growth
Inception Date: 09/28/1992†
AB Global Core Equity
Inception Date: 11/12/2014*
AB Global Real Estate Investment#
Inception Date: 09/30/1996*
AB Global Strategic Core
Inception Date: 01/03/1912*
AB Relative Value ||
Inception Date: 07/01/1932†
AB Sustainable Global Thematic Equity ||
Inception Date: 10/01/1996†
AB US High Yield
Inception Date: 07/26/2016‡
AB US Small & Mid Cap Core**
Inception Date: 03/13/2020§
AB US Small & Mid Cap Growth
Inception Date: 07/07/1938†
AB US Small & Mid Cap Value
Inception Date: 03/29/2001†
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2010 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2015 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2020 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2025 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2030 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2035 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2040 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2045 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2050 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2055 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement 2060 Fund
Inception Date: 08/12/2016
AB Multi-Manager Retirement Allocation Trust Fund
Inception Date: 08/26/2016
* Corresponding mutual fund † Mutual fund class A ‡ Advisor class § CIT #P Shareclass || Pending initial funding and formation. Requires $2M initial funding. **Small and Mid Cap Composite Blend
Learn More about CITs

FAQs
We answer the most common questions about CITs to provide you a quick-hit reference for you and your client.

CITs: Back in Vogue
"What’s Old is New Again” explores why CITs are a compelling choice for sponsors of 401(k)s and other DC plans.

Implementing CITs
AB and Wilmington Trust N.A. have teamed up to make adding a CIT to an investment lineup straightforward.
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The Trust is a Collective Trust formed by the Trustee. The Trust is not a mutual fund and Units of the Collective Trust are not deposits of AllianceBernstein Trust Company, LLC or AllianceBernstein Investments. The Units are securities which have not been registered under the 1933 Act and exempted from investment company registration under the Investment Act of 1940. Therefore, Participating Plans and their Participants will not be entitled to the protections under these Acts. AllianceBernstein L.P. is the Trust Advisor and provides investment management services. AllianceBernstein Trust Company, LLC is the Trust’s Trustee and provides customized securities processing services. Effective April 2, 2007, AllianceBernstein Trust Company, LLC was appointed successor trustee to the Trusts. The Trust serves as a pooled investment vehicle for (i) pension and profit-sharing trusts of employers that are qualified under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and (ii) governmental plans described in Code Section 414(d) (the “Eligible Plans”). An Eligible Plan becomes a participating plan and unitholder of the Trust (a “Participating Plan”) upon the execution and acceptance of an adoption agreement in the form prescribed by the Trustee (the “Adoption Agreement”) and delivery of assets to the Trustee. AllianceBernstein Trust Company (“ABTC” or the “Trustee”) formed the Series Trust pursuant to a Declaration of Trust dated Month, Day Year (as may be amended from time to time, the “Declaration”) and is the Trustee of the Series Trust. AllianceBernstein L.P. serves as the investment advisor “AllianceBernstein” or the “Investment Advisor”) to the Trust. Decisions as to which securities will be bought or sold for the Trust will be made by the Trustee, although the Trustee intends to rely on the investment recommendations of AllianceBernstein as a general manner. The Units are securities which have not been registered under the 1933 Act, or the securities laws of any state and are being offered and sold in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of such act and such laws. The Units have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of this offering or the accuracy or adequacy of this document. Any representation to the contrary is unlawful. Neither the Series Trust nor the Trust will be registered as an investment company under the Investment Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), pursuant to the exemption from the registration requirement of the 1940 Act contained in section 3(c)(11); therefore, the protections available to investors under these acts are not available. Management of the Trust, however, is generally subject to the fiduciary duty and prohibited transaction rules under the Employee Retirement Income Securities Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). Commingled funds are not required to file a prospectus or registration statement with the SEC and, accordingly, neither is available. Mercer Investment Management, Inc. (MIM) provides sub-advisory services to the AB Multi-Manager Retirement Trusts. MIM is a federally registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, providing nondiscretionary and discretionary investment advice to its clients on an individual basis. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. The oral and written communications of an adviser provide you with information about which you determine to hire or retain an adviser.