The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company Inc. (GIAC), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life, announced today enhancements to its investment option line-up for plan sponsors who utilize The Guardian Advantage or The Guardian Choice as the funding vehicle for their qualified retirement plans.
The Guardian Advantage fund line-up will expand by 27 new investment options for a total of 101 investment options. The Guardian Choice fund line-up will add 33 options for a total of 111. The added investment options, according to GIAC, are designed to provide exposure to new market sectors and are managed by some of the largest investment managers in the industry.
Investment options in The Guardian Advantage and The Guardian Choice plans are screened by SWBC Investment Advisory Services, an independent third-party registered investment advisor.
“These substantial new fund enhancements underscore our commitment to providing choice and flexibility to plan sponsors, while still offering focus lists with fiduciary support services provided by SWBC Investment Advisory Services,” said Jason Frain, VP, 401(k) Product Management and Development, Guardian Retirement Solutions. “GIAC does not require our clients to invest in proprietary funds, which provides plan participants with more options to create a retirement account that is uniquely suited to meet their goals.”
Plan sponsors will now have the option of selecting investments from several new asset classes and mutual fund families and will include both actively managed and index-based funds. The enhanced asset class lineup includes Large Cap Blend, Large Cap Growth, Multi Sector Bond, Emerging Markets Bond, Target Date, Index, Socially Responsible and Sector funds.
