Morningstar Advisor - December 2012/January 2013 - (Page 46)

Spotlight Age-Based Options Take Over 529 Industry By Kailin Liu Even advisors are pouring money into plans that adjust asset allocations. In September, the behemoth CollegeAmerica 529 plan surprised the 529 industry by launching its very first age-based track. Age-based options are popular in the industry because they automatically adjust the asset allocation of savings to become more conservative as the beneficiary ages. Nonetheless, CollegeAmerica had rode along comfortably for more than 10 years and gathered billions of dollars in assets without these options. Program manager American Funds maintained for several years that the advisors added value by creating a custom asset allocation for their clients. When asked to explain their change of heart, American Funds said it was simple: Rebalancing, especially for multiple children, was operationally difficult for advisors. Age-based options allow advisors to outsource that process. The Growing Popularity of Age-Based Options stable since 2008, while the share of direct-sold assets in age-based options has risen dramatically since 2008 (Exhibit 1). Age-based options are popular among advisors and likely to become even more widely adopted in the near future. Of the six largest advisor-sold options, CollegeAmerica is the only plan with less than 50% of assets in age-based options (Exhibit 2). The next five largest advisor-sold plans have at least half and up to 75% of assets in age-based tracks. CollegeAmerica’s introduction of age-based options alone could fuel a big increase in age-based assets. The $34 billion plan is the largest in the industry and holds a whopping 42.5% of the industry’s advisor-sold assets. Its impact on the asset distribution is so large that when we calculate the percentage of advisor-sold assets in age-based funds with CollegeAmerica excluded, the figure jumps from 32% to 55%. Doing More With Age-Based Options rigorous asset-allocation process—monitored by investment committees at such industry heavyweights as Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, and BlackRock—that the typical advisor may not have. For some advisors, age-based options are a perfect “set-it and forget-it” solution. However, the data also suggests that the conveniences of age-based options can help advisors become more, not less, involved in customizing clients’ college savings. For example, the behavior of registered investment advisors validates the idea that advisors are open to creating custom asset allocations as long as they can outsource rebalancing. The customized age-based option in the Utah Educational Savings Plan allows investors to combine any mix of the underlying Vanguard index funds available through the program and preset the asset allocation, leaving the plan to rebalance for them. Anecdotally, this option attracts many RIAs, and the data suggests that the option is meeting their needs well. Since the inception of the track in August 2011, it’s grown to almost $400 million in assets. Age-based options can also make it easier for advisors to pursue a “core and explore” strategy with clients’ 529 savings. While the premade asset allocations in age-based options are frequently set by dedicated teams at well-respected fund companies, it’s American Funds is late to the party with regards to age-based options, which have been embraced by the 529 industry for many years. The $160 billion 529 industry is split roughly in half between direct-sold plans and advisor-sold plans. According to Morningstar data from Sept. 30, roughly 32% of advisor-sold assets are in age-based options, compared with 40% of direct-sold assets. The share of advisor-sold assets in age-based options has stayed relatively At first blush, the money pouring into agebased options from advisor-sold accounts may indicate that advisors are less interested in managing college savings. The relatively modest 529 account sizes, especially compared with retirement savings, can certainly lower incentives for advisors to make custom asset allocations and rebalance 529 accounts. Additionally, many 529 plans benefit from a 46 Morningstar Advisor December/January 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Morningstar Advisor - December 2012/January 2013

Morningstar Advisor - December2012/January 2013
Contents
Contributors
Letter From the Editor
What Stands Between Me and Stupid
Why Do You Use Dynamic Funds of Funds?
Serving Clients and Community
How to Pick an ETF Managed Portfolio Strategy
Tactical View of Risk
Investments á la Carte
Investment Briefs
Unbundling ETF Managed Portfolios
Risks Loom Over Telecom Industry
Outsourcing Asset Allocation
ETF Managed Portfolios on the Rise
Age-Based Options Take Over 529 Industry
How the Landscape for Advisors Is Changing
Mark Egan Embraces Volatility
Alpha, Beta, and Now … Gamma
Performance Gaps
Gains in Momentum
Companies Where Management Teams Add Value
Our Favorite Mutual Funds
50 Most-Popular Equity ETFs
Undervalued Stocks With Wide Moats
The Once and Future King

Morningstar Advisor - December 2012/January 2013