CUSTOM RESEARCH

QDIAs & Consultant Expectations: Meeting Retiree Needs and Enhancing Personalization

February 26, 2025

The demand for tailored solutions is expected to drive innovation in the qualified defined investment alternative (QDIA) space as participants increasingly seek retirement solutions that reflect their individual needs.

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Institutional consultants see two emerging trends shaping the future of QDIAs: an increased emphasis on retirees’ income needs and a growing movement toward greater personalization of investment solutions. This white paper, issued in partnership with PIMCO, assesses how plan sponsors can guide participants toward desired retirement outcomes in a changing retirement landscape.

Key Takeaways

Guaranteed and Nonguaranteed Solutions

Addressing the needs of retirees is evolving on two fronts: guaranteed and nonguaranteed solutions. 44% of consultants anticipate that, aside from off-the-shelf target- date funds (TDFs), the most significant growth among QDIA options over the next three years will be in TDFs with embedded guarantees.

Increased Personalization

Growing demand from younger participants is partly driving the movement toward personalization within QDIAs. Participants across generations place significant value on retirement income plans tailored to their personal circumstances and lifestyle expectations.

Finding a Solution

As plan sponsors consider personalized QDIAs, they must weigh the benefits of increased customization against the associated costs and engagement requirements to identify the best solution for their participants and plan objectives.

SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS

Meet Our Research Team

Elizabeth Chiffer

Senior Analyst

Bio →

Elizabeth Chiffer

Senior Analyst

As a senior analyst on the Retirement team, Elizabeth supports research on the defined contribution (DC) and individual retirement account (IRA) markets. She is the lead author of Cerulli's U.S. Retirement End-Investor report, which focuses on the perceptions, needs, and behaviors of DC plan participants. Elizabeth also provides quantitative support to Cerulli’s consulting engagements, annual reports, and the Retirement Edge series.

Prior to joining Cerulli, Elizabeth was a research assistant at the Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, where she worked on papers pertaining to hospitality finance and technology.

Full biography here.