The Research Roundtable Series began in 2002, as a strategic research partnership with PLANSPONSOR magazine. At these unique events, the agenda is shaped by anonymously surveying an extensive sample of large corporate and public plan sponsors about trends in defined benefit pension plans.

We are pleased to announce the 5th Annual Research Roundtable Series. Against the backdrop of a challenging capital market, U.S. corporate and public pensions wrestled with new legislation, accounting standards and reporting requirements as well as funding status questions from credit rating agencies. This year, our defined benefit survey, conducted while you were wrestling with key decisions, is a comprehensive look at pension strategies in a new era. We reached out to defined benefit plan sponsors in the fourth quarter of 2006 to assess the impact of these decisions. Now we are ready to share our results with you.

Visit our research roundtable web site to learn more about the program.

For several consecutive years, and in partnership with PLANSPONSOR magazine, we have conducted the Research Roundtable Series, a survey of defined benefit plan sponsors. The next survey will be conducted in October 2006 with roundtable events scheduled during the first quarter in 2007.  We conducted the survey at a time when we could best capture the impact on plan sponsor decision making of pending legislation, emerging corporate and governmental pension accounting standards, and changes in the capital markets.

The 2005 survey focused on threats to the defined benefit plan and how plan sponsors are responding.

To learn more, read an executive summary (PDF) of the 2005 results.

For the 2004 survey, more than 125 plan sponsors provided detailed answers to questions about asset allocation, risk management and manager selection.  

To learn more, read an executive summary (PDF) of the 2004 results.

For more information on any of these surveys, please contact your Relationship Manager or e-mail us at PYRAMIS@fmr.com.