Product and Service Launches – 5/23/25

NAPA Launches 401(k) Managed Accounts Certificate Program

The National Association of Plan Advisors, an affiliate of the American Retirement Association, has launched a 401(k) managed accounts certificate program. The offering is intended to serve as an education tool for plan advisers to strengthen their ability to effectively manage managed account programs within employee-sponsored retirement plans.

The courses in the program are intended to help plan advisers strengthen their products, remain competitive and provide better value for their plan participants.

Vanguard Adds to Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Offerings With 2 Municipal Bonds

The Vanguard Group launched two municipal bond exchange-traded funds to expand its tax-exempt bond ETF offerings. The Vanguard New York Tax-Exempt Bond ETF and the Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF will be managed by Vanguard’s fixed-income group.

The products are intended to serve investors looking for exposure to longer-duration municipal bonds. Both ETFs have an expense ratio of 0.09%. Vanguard now has 24 offerings in its municipal bond lineup.

Cohen & Steers, IDR Launch Hybrid Real Estate Strategy Blending Listed and Private Assets

Cohen & Steers Inc. and IDR Investment Management LLC launched a real estate investment strategy that tactically blends listed real estate securities with core private real estate in a single portfolio.

The strategy aims to exploit pricing dislocations between public and private markets, using tactical shifts informed by market signals and valuation differentials. The firms seek to deliver enhanced total returns, lower risk and improved liquidity.

Congruent Solutions Implements Streamlined Payroll, HRIS Integration for Retirement Providers

Congruent Solutions Inc., a technology company that specializes in retirement and pension plan administration services, has implemented a streamlined payroll and HRIS integration as part of its Core platform with assistance from Finch, a connectivity platform for HR, payroll and benefits systems.

The initiative is expected to enhance Congruent’s Core platform by integrating automated data access across hundreds of HRIS and payroll systems. The integration aims to simplify data connectivity for retirement plan providers, allowing for automatic import of company census and pay data, along with streamlined deduction and contribution processes.

Rubrik, Rackspace Launch Cyber Recovery Service for Public Cloud Workloads

Rubrik Inc. and Rackspace Technology Inc. have unveiled the Rackspace Cyber Recovery Service, a new managed offering, designed to bolster resilience for enterprises operating in public cloud environments. The solution integrates Rubrik’s advanced data protection and cyber recovery capabilities with Rackspace’s DevOps-driven managed services, enabling faster and more secure recovery from ransomware attacks.

Notable features include immutable backups, zero-trust architecture, automated infrastructure as code workflows and AI-driven threat detection. The service plans to rapidly restore affected workloads following a ransomware attack, aiming to reduce downtime to hours.