NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (www.guardianlife.com), today announced enhancements to its investment option line-up for plan sponsors who utilize The Guardian Advantage® or The Guardian Choice® as the funding vehicle for their qualified retirement plans.
The Guardian Advantage® fund line-up will expand by 27 new investment options for a total of 101 investment options. The Guardian Choice® fund line-up will add 33 options for a total of 111. The investment options provide exposure to new market sectors and are managed by some of the largest and well-recognized investment managers in the industry.
GIAC now offers one of the largest non-open architecture products in the industry with over 100 investment options for plan sponsors to choose from. Investment options in The Guardian Advantage® and The Guardian Choice® plans are screened by SWBC Investment Advisory Services, an independent third-party Registered Investment Advisor.
“These substantial new fund enhancements underscore our commitment to providing choice and flexibility to plan sponsors, while still offering focus lists with fiduciary support services provided by SWBC Investment Advisory Services,” said Jason Frain, Vice President, 401(k) Product Management and Development, Guardian Retirement Solutions™. “Unlike many of our peers, GIAC does not require our clients to invest in proprietary funds, which provides plan participants with more options to create a retirement account that is uniquely suited to meet their goals.”
Plan sponsors will now have the option of selecting investments from several new asset classes and mutual fund families and will include both actively managed and index-based funds. The enhanced asset class lineup includes Large Cap Blend, Large Cap Growth, Multi Sector Bond, Emerging Markets Bond, Target Date, Index, Socially Responsible and Sector funds.
About Guardian
A mutual insurer founded in 1860, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and its subsidiaries are committed to protecting individuals, business owners and their employees with life insurance, disability income insurance, dental insurance products, and offer funding vehicles for 401(k) plans, annuities and other financial products. Guardian operates one of the largest dental networks in the United States, and protects more than six million employees and their families at 115,000 companies. The company has approximately 5,000 employees in the United States and a network of over 3,000 financial representatives in more than 80 agencies nationwide.
For more information about Guardian, please visit: www.GuardianLife.com
The Guardian Choice® group variable funding agreement and The Guardian Advantage® group variable annuity contract are issued by The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. (GIAC), a Delaware corporation whose principal place of business is 7 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004. GIAC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY. Guardian does not issue the The Guardian Choice® and The Guardian Advantage® and does not guarantee the benefits they provide. GIAC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY.
Guardian Retirement Solutions™ refers to the administrative support services, including participant recordkeeping as well as marketing, enrollment and educational materials, provided by GIAC in conjunction with the individual and group retirement products issued by GIAC.