Against a background of increasing regulation and continuing financial market volatility, pension funds face tough questions about whether they will be able to meet their obligations to millions of retirees and their families in the long run. Funds have responded to changes in the economic, political and social landscape by adopting substantial organizational and operational changes to ensure their long-term sustainability.

Also, the growth of exchange-traded funds has been explosive; becoming a popular trading tool for hedge funds, corporate and public pension funds, endowments and foundations. ETFs are forecasted to break the 2 trillion threshold by early 2012. This rapid expansion and growing level of investor interest is driven by the transparency, liquidity, diversification, flexibility and cost effectiveness these products offer.

Join IMN in May along with industry peers to discuss best practices for balancing risk and reward by allocating a portfolio's assets according to goals, risk tolerance and investment horizon.