Investment Instruments

With a wider choice of investment options in their retirement plans, participants are picking twice as many mutual funds to include in their plan portfolios, said the Spectrem Group in a report issued Wednesday.

The world’s largest money manager, BlackRock Inc. (BLK), has news for America’s Early Boomers: you may think your employer’s target date fund will get you through retirement, but don’t expect your company to help you figure out how to spend all the money you’ve saved.

Baden Retirement Plan Services has appointed Brian Smith as the new sales manager in the Midwest.

The first quarter of 2011 showed positive growth for variable, fixed and total annuity sales, according to LIMRA.

Cash balance plans are the fastest growing sector of the retirement plan market, with a 20 percent average annual increase in new plans since 2001.

Chad Tope has been named the new president of annuity and asset sales distribution at ING.