Asset Allocation through Allocation MentorTM

Allocation Mentor is an interactive asset allocation tool developed to help you determine your risk tolerance and personal investment strategy. Asset allocation is a personal investment process through which you determine how to invest your money among different asset classes such as stocks, bonds, and money market instruments (i.e., cash and cash equivalents). By putting your eggs in different baskets, the assets in an investment that is performing well may protect against the assets at risk in an investment that is underperforming. Asset allocation will help you diversify your assets by keeping these three key elements—your time horizon, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs—in mind. Other factors to consider are return expectations, personal asset class preferences, and present or future tax implications.

Asset allocation is a process that may help you achieve your investment goals by diversifying your assets. Remember, however, that simply owning vast numbers of investments does not necessarily make you diversified.

Using asset allocation as part of your investment strategy neither assures nor guarantees better performance and cannot protect against loss in declining markets

Allocation Mentor

Managing your investment options is one of the most important aspects of planning for your retirement. Selecting the right mix of funds is often a difficult process. There are many factors to consider including your tolerance for risk, the long-term performance of the fund, the management of the fund and fund expenses.

Allocation Mentor can help simplify the fund selection process. The following steps will help you get a better understanding of what type of investor you are so that you can make, implement, and monitor sound investment decisions.

Determine Your Investor Type

Use our online calculator to learn what type of investment portfolio "best" matches your investment personality. The calculator consists of a Financial Self-Assessment Questionnaire and sample or "model" investor portfolios. After you complete the questionnaire, you'll be presented with one of five model portfolios that investors with similar risk tolerance might choose to follow. You may also review a copy of the A Guide to Asset Allocation brochure which includes the same information as the calculator.

NOTE: The model portfolios represent an asset allocation strategy. As such, the models present a diversification among a fixed set of asset classes. The model portfolios do not include "lifestyle", target maturity, asset allocation or balanced funds since such funds already represent a diversified sub-portfolio.

Select Your Investment Options

If you prefer to leave the fund selection process to the experts, review the Portfolio Selection Worksheet prepared exclusively for the Mississippi Deferred Compensation Plan & Trust. A set of suggested investment options is available for each of the model investor portfolios. Simply match your investor profile with the corresponding investment suggestions.

If you instead prefer to select your own investments, use the model investment portfolios as a guide, review the plan’s Investment Options, and select options that fit within each recommended asset class. A review of the plan’s Fund Performance, as well fund expenses, should be part of that decision-making process. Use the Portfolio Expense Calculator to compare fund expenses for individual investment options or a portfolio of investment options.


Implement Your Selections

Once you have settled on the investment options you want, visit the Changing Investments page of this site to review the different options you have for implementing your selections. Or simply go to the Online Account Access site to manage your retirement account.

Third Party Administration services provided by and securities distributed through Systematized Benefits Administrators, Inc. (SBA).