June 2022 / STABLE VALUE
Comparing Stable Value Funds and Insurance Company Products
Plan sponsors may want to consider some key structural features.
Stable value strategies can be accessed through various investment vehicles offered both by insurance companies and by asset managers. The most common structures are insurance company general and separate accounts and portfolios managed by asset managers, which can include both separate accounts and common trust, or pooled, funds.
We believe plan sponsors and their consultants or advisors should consider a number of key structural features when evaluating stable value products. These include:
- Asset ownership,
- Contractual terms,
- Exit provisions,1
- Investment guidelines,
- Fees and crediting rate2 disclosures,
- Management of the portfolios underlying the principal guarantee, and
- Diversification of the principal guarantee.
Regardless of the investment vehicle, investors also need to assess not only the creditworthiness and/or capabilities of the insurance company or asset manager, but also some key structural differences between pooled funds and insurance company general accounts.
As we compare stable value products and structures, we quickly observe distinct differences in a few critical categories—such as crediting rates and portfolio durations3—that are the direct result of differing product structures.
Characteristics of Stable Value Vehicles
(Fig. 1) Pooled funds and general accounts have key differences
As of December 31, 2021.
Source: Stable Value Investment Association. Based on survey data of stable value assets from participating firms.
Features and characteristics of specific products and issuers may differ significantly.
Structural Characteristics of Stable Value Vehicles
(Fig. 2) Insurer and asset manager offerings may differ notably
Source: T. Rowe Price.
There are additional differences between these products. Please refer to a product’s offering document to carefully review a specific product’s features, costs and risks. Some of the additional features of both products include offering daily liquidity for plan participants and capital preservation. Some differences are that a general account product is backed by the full faith and credit of the insurance company while investment managed pooled funds typically use several wrap providers (who “wrap” designated associated assets within a stable value investment option to provide book value protection for plan participants). General account products offer a guaranteed fixed rate of return while investment managed pooled funds offer a rate of return based on the performance of the underlying fixed income assets. Duration can vary for each product.
1 Guarantees subject to the claims paying ability of the insurer.
Key Considerations Checklist
(Fig. 3) Issues to evaluate when selecting stable value vehicles
Source: T. Rowe Price.
The average credit quality of insurance general accounts may also be lower compared with investment manager pooled funds as a result of structural differences.
As highlighted in survey data from the Stable Value Investment Association (SVIA), insurance products tended to have longer durations and correspondingly higher yields, while pooled funds tended to have shorter durations and slightly lower yields. (Duration is a measure of a bond’s or bond portfolio’s sensitivity to interest rate changes.)
Given that all pooled funds and insurance company general accounts are capital preservation products that provide participants with daily liquidity, there does appear to be some trade-off between interest rate risk (i.e., duration) and plan exit provisions. Insurance products, given their longer durations, typically include a variety of exit provisions that seek to offset some of the interest rate risk borne by the insurance company. Pooled funds also have plan exit provisions (put options) that typically are 12 months or greater and are commensurate with their shorter duration.
As with any investment, it is important that plan sponsors, consultants, and advisors understand their investments and are comfortable with the terms and conditions of the investment vehicle and structure. When considering stable value investment options and evaluating structures, we suggest investors develop a checklist of key questions.
A simple checklist will allow defined contribution plan sponsors and their consultants or advisors to compare stable value products with distinct structures on a common basis. T. Rowe Price and the SVIA both offer a wealth of resources to help plan sponsors and their consultants or advisors equip plan participants with the tools they need to construct an informed investment strategy.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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Antonio “Tony” Luna is a portfolio manager and head of the Stable Asset Management team in the Fixed Income Division. He specializes in managing stable value and synthetic investment contract portfolios, and he co-manages the Stable Value Common Trust Fund. Tony is a member of the Low Duration Investment, Stable Value Advisory, Synthetic Investment Contract, and Fixed Income Steering Committees, and he currently serves on the Executive Board of the Stable Value Investment Association. He also is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company.
Robert “Bob” Madore is a portfolio manager in the Fixed Income Division. He has lead portfolio management responsibilities for several large stable value separate accounts and is co-manager of the Stable Value Common Trust Fund. He is head of the Stable Value Investment Advisory Committee and a member of the Low Duration Investment, Stable Value Advisory, and Synthetic Investment Contract Committees. Bob is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Trust Company.
Whitney Reid is a portfolio specialist in the Fixed Income Division. He supports the Stable Value, Money Market, US Ultra Short-Term Bond, and US Short-Term Bond Strategies and acts as a proxy for fixed income portfolio managers with clients, consultants, and prospects. Whitney is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
