New 401k plan, questions on "funds"

Oct 30, 2007 4 Replies

My company was bought out by Siemens earlier this year. For the first time I can see the detailed info of funds in 401k. It's not managed by a single company (like T Rowe Price or Vanguard), it appears each asset class has multiple managers.



I have not seen funds like this before. No ticker symbols. We have a single "domestic large cap fund", we have another "domestic small cap fund", we have another "foreign large cap fund" and a "non us emerging markets fund", among a few other choices.



In the prospectus for the domestic large cap, it suggests the fund is managed by the following companies



State Street Global Advisors...............................................61% Legg Mason........................................................................



17% Capital Guardian...........................................................12% Barclays Global Investors.............................................10%

Anyone know of information about which State street fund this might be, or how I would figure this out? I am looking for a ticket symbol which mimics that portion of fund performance.



non US developed markets fund is managed by Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo...........................................



42% Capital Guardian........ ...................................................33% Barclays Global Investors ............................................25%

small cap fund is managed by AXA Rosenberg..................................................................



28% State Street Global Advisors...............................................25% Wellington Management................................................25% Peregrine Capital Management......................................22%

non us emerging markets fund is managed by SSgA/Rexiter.................................................................47% Capital International, Inc. ...... ......................................43% Barclays Global Investors ............................................10%


3 of the 4 funds trail their indexes for short term by small percentages, the fourth trails 5 year, but exceeds 3 month and 1 year benchmarks.

I am choosing between these 4 funds and a self directed brokerage option. If anyone has seen plans like this before, please chime in.



Thank You.



I've seen generic asset funds in many 401K plans including my own and the largest pne ion thcountry - the federal employees Thrifty Saving Plan.

jIM,

Its not uncommon (yet unfortunate) that 401k providers use institutional funds that don't have ticker symbols. Many of these funds may closely resemble a listed fund, but I can't say how closely the relationship will be. The only consistent way to get info on these funds is from the prospectus, fund provider, and/or perhaps the plan advisor (if one even exists).

I don't recall EVER meeting someone that preferred the funds that didn't have tickers.

Well, it's splitting hairs, but since my S&P fund costs 5 basis points, I don't care about the ticker. It wouldn't bring me any increase to my happiness if it did, no difference to me, really. A ticker isn't worth even an extra basis point. JOE

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