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Complete investment oversight with i-Watch®

Fund selection and monitoring made easier

Choose your investments with confidence and stay confident

As a plan sponsor, one of your biggest responsibilities concerns investments: selecting the funds that best support your plan members, monitoring performance, and adhering to any regulatory obligations. To help you manage these important tasks, we developed the innovative process: i-Watch.

With i-Watch, you’re supported by a team of investment professionals with one purpose: handling fund due diligence to help ensure your fiduciary responsibilities are being met.

Simplifying your investment management

Consider i-Watch your manager of managers who evaluates every fund we offer, even those from external firms. The exclusive process we use incorporates a best-practice approach to selecting fund managers and then ensures the ongoing quality of both the investment and manager.

Giving your portfolio a competitive edge

We monitor managers and funds, so you don’t have to. While your selection process is crucial, ongoing monitoring is just as vital—and that makes i-Watch truly unique. Once an investment fund is selected, we continue to apply the same level of analysis we used to select the manager originally.

Making it easier for you

Your funds are subject to comprehensive examinations to maintain confidence in your portfolio.

 

Making it easier for your members

Members have access to top-quality funds and managers through your plan.

Making it easier for compliance

The process can help you manage your governance and regulatory obligations.

How we ensure quality for your portfolio

i-Watch is overseen by Manulife’s global manager research team, which consists of qualified investment professionals dedicated to constructing and maintaining best-in-class investment platforms. The team operates independently of Manulife Group Retirement to ensure the autonomy of reviews and recommendations.

Selection

Evaluating and selecting high-quality investments

  • The stability of the organization, including an adherence to a code of ethics
  • The depth, quality, and overall experience level of the portfolio managers
  • A clearly defined and consistent investment process
  • A performance record that compares favourably to benchmarks and peers
  • Risk characteristics that are in line with their investment mandates

Monitoring

Conducting comprehensive evaluations and analysis 

  • Ongoing analysis of performance, including absolute returns, risk-adjusted returns, and consistency of results when compared to a peer group and benchmark
  • A review of the investment policies and procedures of the fund to ensure that fund objectives, risk tolerances, and investment constraints are met
  • Regular interviews with the fund manager to evaluate qualitative factors such as manager turnover and consistency of style

Helping to meet your fiduciary responsibilities

i-Watch confirms that all funds offered continue to meet strict standards through regular reviews and can assist you in meeting any regulatory obligations and the CAP Guidelines by offering a wide range of investment options that are subject to a strong governance process and frequent performance monitoring.

Keeping you informed

i-Watch keeps you up to date on the news and developments that may affect your investments. Notifications are categorized so you can quickly review both critical updates and lesser changes with ease.  

i-Watch notice

Issued for nonmaterial changes such as a change in benchmark or the departure of an executive of the firm

i-Watch alert

Issued for major updates that could affect the investment strategy of the fund such as a change in lead manager or an organizational change

Explore our notices and alerts

i-Watch Notices

i-Watch Alerts

Get more information on funds that matter to you

To meet a wide spectrum of financial needs, you have access to the results of our monitoring. The Find My Funds tool gives advisors and their clients additional information to help them determine if a fund is appropriate for their portfolio.

Find My Funds

Contact us today

Contact your Manulife representative for more information on how our i-Watch notices and alerts can help you give members valuable long-term choices.

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The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife)

Group Retirement products and services are offered through The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife). Manulife, Stylized M Design, and Manulife & Stylized M Design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and by its affiliates under license. The i-Watch® Alert and i-Watch® Notice are Manulife Global Manager Research (‘GMR’) publications and i-Watch® is a trademark of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and by its affiliates under license. The information contained herein is neither all-inclusive nor guaranteed by GMR and is subject to change as market and other conditions warrant. 

© 2024 The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company. All rights reserved. Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. Visit Manulife.ca/accessibility for more information. Manulife, PO Box 396, Waterloo, ON N2J 4A9.

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