Credit Crisis May Dampen Pension Funds' Use of Derivatives to Hedge Risk, Watson Wyatt Says

WASHINGTON, Sept 24, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- WW | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The use of derivatives by U.S. pension funds to hedge risk will likely slow down because of the ongoing credit crisis, according to Watson Wyatt (NYSE, Nasdaq: WW), a leading global consulting firm. The U.S. had begun to see an increase in the use of derivatives by pension funds over the last few years.

"At a time when pension funds would have benefited most from having well-considered hedges in place, market conditions have been against them," said Chris DeMeo, senior investment consultant at Watson Wyatt. "Since the start of the credit crisis last year, there have been significant delays in the execution of derivatives-based liability hedging strategies for pension funds. This has been due to documentation taking substantially longer to process because of more onerous legal conditions, as well as there being a general mood of risk aversion among banks.

At points during the year, the yields available were also not considered attractive, DeMeo said. "We have also noted very large increases in transaction costs for shorter-dated contracts. In light of more recent market events, it is unsurprising that some banks are now either less willing or less able to retain unhedged risks on their balance sheets, but the net result is that pension funds now have to delay the execution of these risk-reducing strategies, which we expect will also hinder their wider adoption."

For those funds that have these strategies in place, Watson Wyatt advises that they should ensure that both their documentation and collateral are robust, as primary security comes from these. In addition, funds should have diverse counterparties in place in order to manage the default-to-replacement risk. The firm also advises that, in the event of default, it is important for funds to replace positions quickly to minimize possible market loss.

"While Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy and ongoing volatile markets have perpetuated the very challenging investment environment, those high governance funds that use interest rate swaps will have found that they have proved their worth in managing deficit risk," said DeMeo. "As such, we expect pension funds and their sponsors to continue to use various derivative instruments, albeit at a slower rate, because of a broad realization that they can provide protection, enhanced performance and a better match for liabilities."

About Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting

Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting, a division of Watson Wyatt, is focused on creating financial value for institutional investors through independent, best-in-class investment advice. We are specialist investment professionals who provide coordinated investment strategy advice based on expertise in risk assessment, strategic asset allocation, and investment manager selection. Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting provides investment advice to some of the world's largest pension funds and institutional investors, and has more than 500 associates in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

In the US investment advisory and investment consulting services are provided by Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Watson Wyatt Worldwide Inc. Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting, Inc., is a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Watson Wyatt

Watson Wyatt (NYSE, Nasdaq: WW | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is the trusted business partner to the world's leading organizations on people and financial issues. The firm's global services include: managing the cost and effectiveness of employee benefit programs; developing attraction, retention and reward strategies; advising pension plan sponsors and other institutions on optimal investment strategies; providing strategic and financial advice to insurance and financial services companies; and delivering related technology, outsourcing and data services. Watson Wyatt has 7,000 associates in 32 countries and is located on the Web at http://www.watsonwyatt.com.

SOURCE Watson Wyatt

http://www.watsonwyatt.com

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