2012-02-14 11:07:11 -

SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/14/12 -- BrightScope ( www.brightscope.com : ctt.marketwire.com/?release=851417&id=1261129&type=1& .. ), a leading provider of independent financial information and investment research, today announced the Top 20 Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) Fund Distribution List for the 401k and defined contribution industry. According to the BrightScope Beacon defined contribution database, TIPS funds represent roughly $15 billion of the $3.2 trillion in 401k, 403b, and 457 assets tracked. More detailed information on the TIPS industry and the Top 20 Funds is now available in a free white paper from BrightScope, "TIPS Funds Continue Strong DC Asset Growth." It can be downloaded now at www.brightscope.com/research : ctt.marketwire.com/?release=851417&id=1261132&type=1& .. .





This list is part of a series of rankings BrightScope regularly publishes to provide investment managers, mutual fund companies, investors, and others with more insight into the top funds and managers in the retirement marketplace. The proliferation of this critical information will dramatically increase the efficiency of the marketplace and lead to lower cost plans and better outcomes for the 60 million Americans who depend on their 401k plan for retirement.



"The inflation-resistant potential of TIPS funds has caused a surge in interest and new investments within retirement plans. In fact, the amount of investable assets dedicated to TIPS funds has been growing at a steady 30% rate as plan sponsors, consultants and advisors see more value in diversification," said Ryan Alfred, President and co-founder of BrightScope. "This makes having access to detailed information and analytics about TIPS funds invaluable for asset managers looking for a competitive advantage."



Since its infancy, the 401k marketplace has suffered from a lack of quality data that is comprehensive enough to be useful for most strategic functions. Historically, it has been virtually impossible to determine a specific mutual fund's total distribution in 401k plans. BrightScope's revolutionary database includes a detailed investment menu on nearly 50,000 plans, representing nearly 90 percent of all the assets in 401ks. With this dataset, BrightScope is able to provide detailed analysis of total fund distributions.



The Top 20 TIPS funds by total distribution:



1. PIMCO Real Return



2. Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities



3. TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond



4. BlackRock US TIPS



5. SSgA US Inflation-Protected Bond Index



6. Fidelity Inflation-Protected Bond



7. American Century Inflation-Adjusted Bond



8. Barclays Treasury Inflation Protected Securities Index Trust



9. Northern Trust Daily TIPS



10. Western Asset Inflation Indexed Plus Bond



11. American Beacon Treasury Inflation Protected Securities



12. BlackRock Inflation Protected Bond



13. FFTW Inflation-Indexed Bond



14. Fidelity Trust Treasury Bond Index



15. Transamerica Partners Inflation-Protected Securities



16. Wellington Management TIPS Plus



17. MassMutual Premier Inflation-Protected Bond



18. DFA Inflation-Protected Securities



19. American Century Inflation Protection Bond



20. Fidelity Advisor Inflation-Protected Bond



BrightScope's technology uncovers audited financial data on investment funds held within real 401k plans. The BrightScope database is superior to the industry's traditional survey-based approach. When surveys are done, they usually capture no more than 10 percent of total distribution and skew heavily towards funds prominent in the survey company's client base. Through BrightScope Beacon, investment managers can access comprehensive data, giving them a transparent view into their own fund distribution, as well as the distribution of their competitors.



For more information, please visit www.brightscope.com : ctt.marketwire.com/?release=851417&id=1261135&type=1& .. .



About BrightScope
BrightScope is a financial information company that brings transparency to opaque markets through independent research and analysis. Delivered through web-based software, BrightScope data drives better decision-making for individual investors, corporate plan sponsors, asset managers, broker-dealers, and financial advisors. The BrightScope Rating™, developed in partnership with leading independent 401k fiduciaries, reviews more than 200 unique data inputs per plan and calculates a single numerical score which defines plan quality at the company level. In April 2011, the company launched BrightScope Advisor Pages™, the first comprehensive and publicly available directory of financial advisors designed to help consumers discover information and conduct due diligence on wealth management professionals. BrightScope also markets a suite of data analytics software products to Fortune 1000 companies, asset managers, broker-dealers, financial advisors, and other market participants. Public ratings for more than 46,000 retirement plans as well as rating definitions, criteria and methodologies, and information on more than 450,000 financial advisors are available for free at www.brightscope.com : ctt.marketwire.com/?release=851417&id=1261138&type=1& .. .




Katie Carlson
Atomic PR for BrightScope
415-593-1400
Email Contact : www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=361D8CF04EDE78F0