State Street Global Advisors Winner
State Street Global Advisors knows all about the innovating spirit. The company created the first exchange-traded funds and was among the earliest to introduce index funds.

Back in 1978, it created index funds for both domestic and international equities. And in 1984, it introduced quantitative equity strategies to its index offerings. SPDR, the first US listed ETF, was launched in 1990, and it’s still the largest ETF. Then in 1998 came the industry’s first family of sector-specific ETFs. These days, there are popular SPDRs for sectors like financial services and technology, as well as for high-yield bonds and gold.

Its target-date retirement funds are revamped yearly to incorporate the latest capital market expectations and demographic assumptions that underpin the glide path, which adjusts the asset allocation to best serve investors as they age. For instance, State Street has replaced commodity exposure with additional equity allocations early in the glide path. It will re-establish commodities starting at age 60.

The company is committed to investor education. In one article, for instance, it explained that expense ratios aren’t the only measure for costs. Trading volumes are a big factor, it pointed out. Partnering with employers and financial advisers, State Street has a commendable program to ensure that investors get the right venues for their personal needs and futures.

State Street showed its commitment to gender diversity by commissioning the bronze statue called Fearless Girl, which stands with hands on hips, ready to take on the future. A symbol of female empowerment, the four-foot-tall statue stands outside the New York Stock Exchange.

Defined Contribution Finalists

• BlackRock

• Capital Group

• Fidelity Investments

• T. Rowe Price

• Vanguard