Investments Institute

Markets in Transition: What to Look for Over the Next Year

Because of inflation, trade policies and global markets are recalibrating. This market update will unpack the economic signals trustees should monitor to guide long-term fund stability.

Smart Asset Allocation for Uncertain Times

Trustees face fast-moving markets and must reassess asset mix and liquidity. Learn how to balance growth and risk, set rebalancing guardrails and use diversifiers to keep the plan on track.

Private Markets at a Crossroads

With private markets now overtaking public markets in many portfolios, trustees need to understand how slowing distributions and liquidity pressures are testing investors’ patience. This session will cover how private equity managers and trustees are adapting to tighter cash flows, the rise of secondaries and changing valuation dynamics. It will also examine what these shifts mean for long-term allocation, pacing and plan liquidity management.

Bricks and Mortar to Market Shifts: The Future of Real Estate Investing

From office building downturns to the surge in industrial and multifamily housing, real estate is at an inflection point. This session will explore how trustees can balance long-term stability while mitigating risk by reassessing portfolio exposure, monitoring manager performance and identifying opportunities in emerging sectors that align with fund objectives.

Infrastructure and Public–Private Partnerships: Building Resilient Portfolios

Public–private partnerships and infrastructure projects are gaining momentum as viable investments. Learn how trustees can evaluate opportunities, measure risk and return, and ensure infrastructure aligns with plan objectives.

Portfolio Case Study Roundtables

This highly interactive session will feature cross-sector case studies and allow trustees to share how they would navigate evolving investment issues. The session encourages peer-to-peer discussion and the exchange of real-world decision-making experiences.

From Buzz to Portfolio Impact: AI in Institutional Investing

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how investment decisions are made, from manager research and portfolio construction to market analysis. This session explores how trustees can assess the growing use of AI in investment strategies, understand its opportunities and limitations, and ensure fiduciary responsibility remains at the center of decision making.

Fixed Income’s Role in Volatile Markets

Fixed income is back in focus. This session looks at derisking strategies and how trustees can use bonds and credit to provide stability without sacrificing opportunity. Discussion will also address how changing interest rates, inflation trends and global debt markets are reshaping the role of fixed income in long-term plan strategy.

Austin to Auckland: Opportunities in Global Markets

As the U.S. market concentration in a small number of companies grows and geopolitical shifts reshape global trade, trustees must look beyond domestic borders for opportunity. Explore how global and emerging markets are able to strengthen diversification and improve long-term portfolio resilience.

The True Cost of Investing: Understanding Benchmarking and Fees

Trustees face increasing pressure to justify investment costs. This session will review how to assess and compare fees across asset classes, ensure costs align with performance and plan objectives, and benchmark expenses effectively to identify when your fund may be paying more than necessary for similar results.

Paying Out Without Paying the Price: Decumulation for Multiemployer Plans

With more members entering retirement, trustees must rethink how plan assets can support lifetime income without eroding plan stability. This session will examine practical decumulation strategies used by funds, including liability-driven investing, sustainable withdrawal methods and effective communication planning to help members make informed retirement decisions.