• Subscriptions/Research Downloads
• Contact Us
• Investor Relations
• Careers

The Defined Contribution Plans of Fortune 100 Companies: 2008 Plan Year

In this report, Watson Wyatt Worldwide examines 68 DC plans offered by Fortune 100 companies in 2008, including eligibility and vesting rules, employee and employer contributions, and plan investments and expenses.

Managing risk around retirement

In this paper we suggest that the DC post-retirement hedging and de-risking market is currently under-developed and opportunities exist for greater product development. In addition we think the current practice of formulaic switching from growth assets to protection assets as DC members approach retirement age is too simplistic and will prevent many members from participating in strategies that can enhance the purchasing power of their portfolios. We also outline a number of market-based and regulatory developments that could improve pre- and at-retirement investment and points to three specific examples for doing so: introducing flexibility around retirement date, deferring the date of annuity purchases and adopting a draw down strategy, expanding annuity-type products.

Annual Enrollment 2010
Flash Survey

In November 2009, Watson Wyatt surveyed employers to find out what actions they have taken to manage health and welfare annual enrollment this year and what changes they expect to make next year. The survey was completed by 349 U.S. employers from 22 industries. This year’s participants offer an average of three health plans and have an average of 11,628 employees.

Extreme Risks

In this paper we identify and rank fifteen extreme risks that would have a high impact on global economic growth and asset returns if they occurred.

2009/2010 North American Staying@Work Report: The Health and Productivity Advantage

The 2009/2010 Staying@Work report is the result of Watson Wyatt’s inaugural North American survey of companies’ health and productivity programs. The report reflects the natural evolution of this research, which has been separately conducted in the United States and Canada for more than a decade. This research details current trends and best practices, including employer’ efforts to improve employee health, combat presenteeism and reduce lost time from work.

Moving Beyond the Financial Crisis: 2009/2010 Report on Executive Pay

The U.S. executive pay model continues to be buffeted by an onslaught of external forces, most notably a significant economic recession, volatile financial markets, legislative activity and activism by pay critics and shareholder advisory firms. Confronted with new shareholder proxy disclosure rules for 2010 and the prospect of “say on pay” legislation, companies and their boards are focused on crafting executive pay arrangements that strengthen the tie between pay and sustained performance.

Emerging wealth

In this research report Watson Wyatt asserts that the long-term outlook for emerging economies will impact positively on emerging market investments, but it warns that choice of asset class and implementation route are not obvious. The firm also suggests that emerging market equities, debt and currencies are where exposure to the macroeconomic dynamics of emerging markets will be most readily obtained. In addition it discusses how emerging market economies will continue to grow strongly, due to a mix of rising productivity, economic and financial reforms, and favourable demographics. However, it states that institutional investors face significant complexity and potentially high fees when trying to build a portfolio that captures this long-term trend and should also recognise the governance implication of following such a strategy.

Getting Members Back On Track. Survey of CAP/DC Sponsors 2009

In September, Watson Wyatt surveyed a cross-section of 84 Canadian capital accumulation plan/defined contribution (CAP/DC) sponsors to understand the major challenges they are facing in today’s economic environment. In particular, the survey focused on identifying strategies that can help CAP/DC members achieve better retirement outcomes from their plans.

2009/2010 Communication ROI Study Report
Capitalizing on Effective Communication: How Courage, Innovation and Discipline Drive Business Results in Challenging Times

This report summarizes the findings of our 2009/2010 multiregional study. It identifies what the companies with highly effective communication practices are doing to inform and engage their employees in challenging economic times, and shows how these practices vary around the world.

Effect of the Economic Crisis on HR Programs
Update: October 2009

In October 2009, Watson Wyatt continued our ongoing research on the economic crisis based on survey responses from HR executives at 201 U.S.-based companies. This is an update to our bimonthly reports that began in October 2008 to understand what adjustments they are making to their HR programs (e.g., staffing, pay, benefits) in response to the economic downturn.

Most Requested Research

• Closing the Gap 2008|2009 Employee Perspectives on Health Care 
• The Power of Integrated Reward and Talent Management - 2008/2009 Global Strategic Rewards Report and United States Findings 
• Effective Communication: A Leading Indicator of Financial Performance - 2005/2006 Communication ROI Study 
• The Worlds 500 Largest Asset Managers 
• A summary of our recent research Defining Moments 

Technical and Policy Papers 

Technical and Policy Papers are available for download free of charge to registered members of My Watson Wyatt .