Explore our insights
Asset class
Formats
2026 Midyear Investment Outlook
Asia ex-Japan, Institutional
Change
Our DC philosophy
Research shows that historically there has been a meaningful shortfall in the returns of defined contribution plans versus those of defined benefit plans. Best practices in institutional investing can potentially help close this gap. Central to our investment philosophy is the belief that diversification, downside risk mitigation, and active management at compelling fees can be key drivers of retirement success.
DIVERSIFICATION
Whether using premixed investment options or constructing portfolios from a core menu, participants may be better served by having access to a broader set of asset classes.
DOWNSIDE MITIGATION
We think it is important to consider strategies that help diversify a portfolio by economic environment, asset class, and return source, including strategies with the potential to perform independently of the markets.
ACTIVE MANAGEMENT
DC plans have scale to obtain active management at compelling fees. Even modest incremental returns may have a meaningful impact on retirement outcomes. Wellington has a long history of successful active management and we believe DC plans should ensure they offer quality active choices to their participants.
Why partner with Wellington
Independent and historically stable
- Private partnership focused solely on clients’ goals
- Track record of low portfolio-manager turnover
- Fiduciary mind-set that aligns with plan sponsors’ role
Investment-focused and collaborative
- Singular focus on investment management
- Open investment platform helps us avoid internal silos as we create solutions tailored to our clients’ needs
Experience and scale
- We have managed assets for some of the largest DC plans in the world for over 20 years
- One of the world’s largest subadvisers
- CIT onboarding tool that greatly streamlines and facilitates the process of adopting a CIT
Our DC options
Collective investment trusts
Wellington Trust Company, NA, an affiliate of Wellington Management Company LLP, offers a variety of investment approaches through daily valued collective investment trusts that are available solely to certain qualified employee retirement plans.
Separate accounts
Wellington Management Company LLP offers management of separate accounts for DC plans interested in bespoke strategies with customized guidelines.
Mutual funds
Many of our strategies are available in mutual funds offered by our subadvisory clients.
The role of multi-asset credit in DC plans
In this paper, we examine the potential benefits of pairing traditional fixed income exposure with multi-asset credit (MAC) in DC plans.
Monthly Market Review — September 2026
A monthly update on equity, fixed income, currency, and commodity markets.
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