Morningstar and Alta Trust Launch Multi-Manager CITs for Retirement Plans
Event summary
- Morningstar Retirement and Alta Trust Company launched Foundation Series Collective Investment Trusts (CITs), six multi-manager portfolios for retirement plans.
- The CITs are designed to simplify implementation for recordkeepers by eliminating the need for additional build work.
- Alta Trust will serve as the trustee, CIT sponsor, and administrator, while Morningstar Retirement leads portfolio design and oversight.
- The portfolios draw from funds offered by nine asset managers, including Columbia Threadneedle, Federated Hermes, and PIMCO.
The big picture
The launch reflects a broader industry trend toward scalable personalization in retirement investing, aiming to lower barriers for smaller plans. By standardizing multi-manager portfolios, Morningstar and Alta Trust are positioning the CITs as a plug-and-play solution for recordkeepers, potentially accelerating adoption across diverse retirement plan sizes.
What we're watching
- Adoption Pace
- How quickly recordkeepers and plan sponsors will integrate the Foundation Series CITs into their offerings.
- Competitive Response
- Whether other providers will introduce similar multi-manager CIT solutions to compete with Morningstar's offering.
- Regulatory Scrutiny
- The level of oversight the Foundation Series CITs may attract given their multi-manager structure and institutional focus.
Related topics