Corporate Roundup: 401GO, Heartland Partnership, TIAA Annuity Inflows Hit Record High

401GO, Heartland Partner on UX

401GO and Heartland Payment Systems have announced a partnership aimed at enhancing the user experience for small businesses and their employees.

Heartland Payment Systems, a payroll provider for small businesses, has made 401GO their preferred 401(k) plan provider and has a launched a new platform called “Retire powered by 401GO.”

“This arrangement is a few weeks old and already proving extremely beneficial to Heartland, 401GO and many of Heartland users and their employees,” said Judd Bagley, vice president of marketing at 401GO, in a post announcing the partnership. “And there’s a lot of opportunity for growth as we work together to get as many Heartland payroll clients as possible set up with a fast, affordable and accessible 401(k) plan.”

TIAA Fixed Annuity Realizes Record Inflows

Inflows into TIAA’s flagship fixed annuity, TIAA Traditional, surged to the highest level in five years in March 2025, demonstrating growing investor interest in guaranteed asset classes as part of a diversified retirement portfolio.

“It’s important to have a well-diversified investment mix, including a guaranteed asset class, which can help buffer against market volatility,” said Jim Mullery, EVP of Retirement Solutions at TIAA. “Uncertainty in the financial markets can tempt investors to try to ‘time’ the markets, but it’s crucial to step back and seek professional advice before dramatically changing your financial plan.” 

March’s inflow into TIAA Traditional was the most since March 2020. In the wake of “Liberation Day” tariffs, early April data from April 1 to the 15, indicates continued demand for TIAA Traditional, including record daily inflows and a monthly average projected to exceed the previous record set in March 2020.

“TIAA Traditional is guaranteed to grow every day, no matter what happens in the market,” said Christopher Stickrod, EVP of Retirement Products at TIAA. “In addition, studies have shown that replacing some of your fixed income allocation with a guaranteed product like TIAA Traditional reduces some of the interest rate risks that can be associated with bonds.” 

TIAA recently made its proprietary lifetime income annuities, including TIAA Traditional, available to all Americans through the TIAA IRA.

CalSTRS Invests in ABS EM Tech

ABS Global Investments (ABS), an $8 billion asset management firm focused on differentiated equity strategies across global, emerging markets and growth equities, announced that the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) will invest in the ABS Insights Emerging Markets strategy.

Managed by Guilherme Ribeiro do Valle, founding partner and portfolio manager, the strategy partners with local specialists to pick stocks in their markets and then utilizes a systematic selection process for portfolio construction. The strategy offers a diversified, all-cap core portfolio of approximately 150 to 250 stocks, with exposures across large, mid, and small-cap stocks.

“As institutional investors look for a more innovative approach to investing in emerging markets, our ABS Insights Emerging Markets strategy offers unparalleled access and differentiation in its distinctive exposure to local EM stocks,” said Valle. “By partnering with local specialists with on-the-ground expertise in our stock selection, we’re able to uncover unique names, particularly in the mid and small-cap space, and provide differentiated returns.”  

This investment marks ABS’ first collaboration with CalSTRS. “We are proud to partner with CalSTRS on this strategy that combines our ability to access local expertise with a cost-effective, liquid portfolio. We see this as the beginning of a long-term partnership, and we’re excited to support the CalSTRS Global Equity team’s investment objectives,” Valle concluded.

ABS’ $3.7 billion AUM emerging markets platform includes long-short, long-only, and Country— and region-specific equity strategies. The ABS Insights Emerging Markets strategy is offered as a private fund, CIT, mutual fund and segregated account structure. 

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