Investment Information

A wide variety of core investment options are available through your "deferred comp plan." Periodically, the investment lineup in your deferred comp plan undergoes changes. These changes are made so you may continue to select from a diverse and competitive array of quality investment options. Learn more about the most recent changes.

Fund Profiles

Click on an individual fund to view an interactive profile by independent investment research firm Morningstar, detailing the fund’s investment strategy, performance, portfolio structure/asset allocation, holdings, risk profile and much more.  

Money Market
Short-Term Investment Fund

Brokerage
Schwab Self-Directed Brokerage Account
Schwab Self-Directed Brokerage Account - Roth Option
Provide you with access to thousands of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). These options are for knowledgeable investors who acknowledge and understand the risks associated with many of the investment choices.

Schwab Self-Directed Brokerage Sweep Account
Schwab Self-Directed Brokerage Sweep Account - Roth Option
The cash sweep accounts are not intended for long-term investment but to provide you with a place where money from brokerage account transactions can temporarily sit until you transfer it.

  *Default investment option based on your age.

Stable Value Fund Rates
2021 - Quarter 2 2021 - Quarter 1 2020 - Quarter 4 2020 - Quarter 3
Fund Performance

Updated each quarter, the Investment Options at a Glance lists the investment options available in this plan and their performance over multiple periods, including year-to-date, one-, five-, 10-year periods, and since inception.

2023 - Quarter 4 2023 - Quarter 3 2023 - Quarter 2 2023 - Quarter 1
2022 - Quarter 4 2022 - Quarter 3 2022 - Quarter 2 2022 - Quarter 1
2021 - Quarter 4 2021 - Quarter 3 2021 - Quarter 2 2021 - Quarter 1
2020 - Quarter 4 2020 - Quarter 3 2020 - Quarter 2 2020 - Quarter 1
2019 - Quarter 4 2019 - Quarter 3 2019 - Quarter 2 2019 - Quarter 1

 

Investment Performance Analysis

Each quarter, the plan’s investment consultant provides a report on market conditions and the performance of the plan’s investments.

2023 Quarter 4 | Summary 2023 Quarter 3 | Summary 2023 Quarter 2 | Summary 2023 Quarter 1 | Summary
2022 Quarter 4 | Summary 2022 Quarter 3 | Summary 2022 Quarter 2 | Summary 2022 Quarter 1 | Summary
2021 Quarter 4 | Summary 2021 Quarter 3 | Summary 2021 Quarter 2 | Summary 2021 Quarter 1 | Summary
Investment Policy

The Deferred Compensation Plan Statement of Investment Policy defines the purpose of this retirement plan, the investment options to be offered through the plan, and the roles of those responsible for managing the plan. The investment policy statement also establishes performance standards and objectives for the investments, and the standards and processes for monitoring and evaluating the investment options.  

2021 2020 2019
Investment Manager Evaluation List

This list is published quarterly by SERS’ general investment consultant. The placement of an investment manager on the Evaluation List does not automatically serve as evidence of a problem with the investment manager. The Evaluation List was developed to clearly communicate which investment managers have been identified as experiencing quantitative or qualitative pattern changes worthy of greater review by SERS’ investment office and external investment consultants.

2023 Quarter 4 2023 Quarter 3 2023 Quarter 2 2023 Quarter 1
2022 Quarter 4 2022 Quarter 3 2022 Quarter 2 2022 Quarter 1

 

Investment Assistance

There are several ways to handle your investment portfolio as explained in the Advisory Services handout.

Managed Account

Take back some of the time spent planning for retirement. How much more could you enjoy today if you had a retirement strategy to help you reach your retirement goals? What if that strategy was designed just for you? One step toward that goal may be your deferred comp plan’s managed account solution.

Online Advice

This option may be right for you if you want help with choosing your specific investments based on your personal goals and financial situation. It offers fund-specific recommendations for you and allows you to apply those recommendations with a single click.

Service
Support to help validate a strategy you have already developed.

How it works
Internet-based service that provides fund-specific recommendations to support you as you make your investment decisions.

You select and implement your retirement savings strategy.

Service provides you with access to investment adviser representatives to answer your questions.

There is no guarantee that participation in any of the advisory services will result in a profit or that the account will outperform a self-managed portfolio invested without assistance.

Fees
Please refer to your deferred comp plan highlights document for information on fees. In addition, the welcome materials you receive after enrolling will have additional important information on fees.

Online Tools

Do you have the expertise to manage your own account but simply need a push in the right direction? If so, we have additional retirement planning tools and guided support to help you with your decisions.

Service
Resources to help you understand your retirement savings needs and develop your investing strategy.

How it works
It provides you with internet-based calculators, planning tools, and guidance.

You create and select the investment options and implement your retirement savings strategy.

It provides you with access to investment adviser representatives to answer your questions.

There is no guarantee that participation in any of the advisory services will result in a profit or that the account will outperform a self-managed portfolio invested without assistance.

Fees
This service is available at no additional cost to you.

Build Your Own Portfolio

If you prefer, you can build your own portfolio by investing in one or more of your deferred comp plan's investment funds.

Your deferred comp plan's funds offer a mix of different asset classes to help you actively create and manage your investment strategy so your portfolio suits your retirement goals and risk tolerance.

By having a mix of — or diversifying — investments, you may reduce your exposure to market risk.

Diversification does not ensure a profit and does not protect against loss in declining markets.

You can also get help with your fund mix by logging in and using the slider under the Investments section of your deferred comp plan website.


Investment Fundamentals

Determining how to invest your contributions plays an important role in the quality of your retirement. By understanding the basics of investing, you will be better able to create a diversified portfolio that fits your time horizon, risk tolerance, and retirement savings goals.

Your investment building blocks

An asset class is a grouping of similar types of investments. There are three primary asset classes to consider:

Equities (stocks): Owning a piece of a company and sharing in profits (and losses).

Fixed income (bonds): Lending money to a government or a company for interest (government bonds, corporate bonds, high-yield bonds, for example).

Capital preservation: Money invested in very short-term instruments like money market funds and Treasury bills. These investments usually maintain a stable value.

Risk vs. reward

When it comes to investing, risk and reward go hand in hand. The reward for taking on risk is the potential for a greater investment return. If you have a financial goal with a long time horizon, you are likely to make more money by carefully investing in asset categories with greater risk, like stocks or bonds, rather than restricting your investments to assets with less risk, like money market funds. On the other hand, investing solely in money market funds may be appropriate for short-term financial goals.

Managing risk

There are several risks that retirement investors must face. These include:

Longevity risk – The risk that you will outlive your money
Market risk – The risk from significant declines in the financial markets
Inflation risk – The risk that rising prices will erode the purchasing power of your savings

One way to manage the risks of investing for retirement is to diversify your investments. Asset allocation, which means investing in a variety of fund options that move up and down under different market conditions, can help guard your portfolio from significant losses (market risk).

Historically, the returns of the three major asset categories — stocks, bonds, and capital preservation — have not moved up and down at the same time. Market conditions that cause one asset category to do poorly can cause another asset category to perform well.

By investing in more than one asset category, you may reduce the risk that you'll lose money, and your portfolio's overall investment returns may have a smoother ride. In addition, asset allocation is important because it may impact meeting your financial goal. If you don't include enough risk in your portfolio, your investments may not earn a large enough return to meet your goal. At a minimum, you have to earn at least enough on your investments to outpace inflation. On the other hand, if you include too much risk in your portfolio, your retirement money may not be there when you need it.