FirstEnergy 401k (SP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The year over year improvment in the plan increased the number of investment options in the Balanced portfolio to 10 and reduced the FE stock holding to 3.2% based on its current 5yr Sharpe ratio. The employee investment in company stock remains high at 23% which is too high for a retiree in my opinion. The Balanced and employee portfolios had similar 5yr returns of 4.96% and 4.30% but the employee portfolio was 3 times more volatile. A press release filed with the SEC per Rule 425 on 5-27-2009 confirmed a proposed merger with Allegheny Energy.

Allegheny Energy 401k (ESOSP) PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This plan company stock AYE had a bad 2009 on top of a very bad 2008 and that reduced the 5yr stock APR to 4.4%. The Balanced portfolio reduced its investment in AYE to 0.9% of the portfolio holdings. The employee portfolio had AYE as its largest holding. A year over year comparison of scan images shows more funds in the 3D scan but it is still a lifeboat portfolio. The company and FirstEnergy are in the process of merging and after the merger company stock in the 401k plan is likely to be FE as I read the press releases.

Markel Corp. 401k (RSP) Plan PSDS Scan

This is a small plan with a few good funds and the Balanced portfolio has invested 80% of the plan in the money market fund FRTXX and the bond fund FTHRX. The employee portfolio's largest holding is company stock MKL at 36.2% of the portfolio. The stock had a negative 5yr return with off the chart volatility. Not a prudent investment for a retiree.

Massachusetts 457 (SMART) PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has Ameritrade self directed funds and a few other investment catagories. This scan covers the Actively Managed Funds and the Balanced portfolio invested over 80% of that portfoilio in the money market fund VMMXX and two bond funds PTTRX and PIGSX. The actively managed funds are over weighted in the S&P 500 in my opinion. That said the Balanced portfolio has a 5yr APR = 4.72% with a positive 5yr Sharpe ratio of 1.24 which is good.

Google 401k Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This plan 10-Q indicates the incentive stock plan has no retirement component and by design does have to file an 11-k report. The stock GOOG is an investment option in the 401k plan and the Balanced portfolio has invested 11.3% of the portfolio in the stock which has done very well. The year over year comparison shows improvement and 9 of the investment options are in the Balanced portfolio. No information on the employee portfolio was found.

The Hartford 401k (ISP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Balanced portfolio is up year over year but company stock HIG remains off the chart with a 5yr APR = -16.8% and high volatility. The employee portfolio has invested 6.9% of the plan in company stock. The scan 3D image shows year over year improvement and the Balanced portfolio has money in 12 investment options. The stable value fund SVF.hpx in the scan is still the largest holding at 63.5% of the portfolio.

Kroger 401k (RSAP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

Company stock KR did not have a good 2009 but still has a positive 5yr APR = 4.22 and a positive 5yr Sharpe ratio. It is in the Balanced portfolio at 6.2% of the portfolio but much lower than last year. I added Retirement Date Funds using the Barclay Target Date funds from the US Government 401k plan as proxies. The funds and trust catagories from the 2009 SEC 11-k report and their proxies in the scan are,

Company Stock: KR

Collective trusts:

ML Mid Cap S&P 400 Index Trust - IJH

ML Equity Index Trust - SPY

ML Small Cap Index Trust - IJR

ML International Indes Trust - EFA

Mutual Funds:

Large Cap Equity - VGSTX

Dodge & Cox International - DODFX

Aberdeen Emerging Markets - EEM

Blackrock Global Allocation - MALOX

Retirement Date Funds

L-income

L2010

L2020

L2030

L2040

Hewlett-Packard 401k Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This is a large old plan helped by company stock HPQ that has done well over the last 5 years with a 5yr APR over 20% and a postive Sharpe ratio of 0.60. The Balanced portfolio invested
4. 8% in company stock and doubled the number of funds in the portfolio over last years scan. The employee portfolio has 14.3% invested in company stock and a 5yr APR over 6% with a positive 5yr Sharpe ratio. This year I included the GIC in the scan and used the Dreyfus money market fund DTRXX instead of a proxy.

Genworth Financial 401k (RSP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The Balanced portfolio is similar to last year but with a few more more funds in it and a 5yr APR = 4.63% with a Sharpe ratio of 1.40. The employee portfolio largest holding is the BGI Pension Strategy Fund represented by FUNDF in the scan. The BGI collective trust funds are in the US Government 401k plan where the 5yr data are posted. The employees have a small amount 2.6% in company stock GNW which is extremely volatile. This stock demonstrates how volatility kills compunding. The 5yr average return is 43.6% thanks to a 301.1% return in 2009 but the annualized 5yr return is -13.1% thanks to the other 4 years. It is simple arithmetic.

Owens Corning 401k (SSP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This company emerged from bankruptcy (asbestos) 10-31-2006 and its stock OC is in the plan but not in the Balanced portfolio. The 2 largest holdings in the Balanced portfolio are the money market fund FRTXX and the Fidelity stable value fund FMIP2 in the scan. The employee portfolio has less than 1% in company stock. Their largest holding is the money market fund. The plan has a good emerging market fund LZEMX and that produces the unusal shape of the 3D image for the design scan.

Discover Financial Services 401k PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This company is a business unit of Merrill Lynch and has the stock of both companies in the plan. Only MS has 5yr data and neither has a positive 5yr Sharpe ratio. The Balanced portfolio has the stable value fund SVF.hpx in the scan as the largest holding and is another lifeboat portfolio. The employee portfolio has the two company stocks DFS and MS as their largest holding and that reduced their 5yr APR to 1.58% with high volatility.

Windstream 401k Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This is a small plan and the company stock WIN did not yet have 5yr data as of 12-31-2009. The largest holding in the plan and in the Balanced portfolio is the Vanguard stable value fund VRST. In the scan AGG is a proxy for the Northern Trust aggregate bond index fund. The plan has a DWS real estate fund SRQ which you don't often see these days with real estate market's recent problems.

Whirlpool 401k (RP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

The company stock WHR had a very good 2009 and now has a positive 5yr return and a Sharpe ratio of 0.06. However it is very volatile. The Balanced portfolio went from 3 funds last year to 7 funds with a 5yr APR = 5.16 this year. It is still a lifeboat portfolio but with not as much money in the stable value fund VRST as before. Things are looking up.

Ameren 401k (SIP) Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

This is a small plan for a regional electric utlility with a stable value fund from Northern Trust SVF.hpx in the scan. Company stock AEE has a negative 5yr APR and is not in the Balanced portfolio. The employee portfolio has 18.8% of the plan in company stock and that reduced their 5yr APR to 1.73% while the Balanced portfolio 5yr APR is 4.65% with a Sharpe ratio of 1.48.

RJFIRA Portfolio PSDS Scan 12-31-2009 10yr

This is my IRA portfolio and it has changed little over the last 10 years mostly in the addition of a few income funds. It has no stable value fund but all the funds have positive 10yr and 5yr Sharpe ratios. In the scan WASAX is represented by WASCX which has 10yr data. The Balanced portfolio and the RJFIRA portfolio are close and both have Sharpe ratios over 2.0 and 10yr APRs of a bit over 10%. This is not a lifeboat portfolio.

Mosaic 401k (IP) Plan PSCS Scan 12-31-2009

The plan as last year was helped by company stock MOS and the Balanced portfolio invested 5.1% of the portfolio in the stock. It is extremely volatile but still has a 5yr APR = 30.49% with a positive 5yr Sharpe ratio. The employee portfolio invested 18.5% of their money in the stock. The largest holding for both portfolios is the stable value fund from Vanguard VRST.

DuPont 401k Plan PSDS Scan 12-31-2009

A lot has changed since last year in terms of trustees and plan investment options. See the 11-k for details. In terms of performance it is still a lifeboat Balanced portfolio with the group annuity GIC.ekx in the scan having 88.3% of the plan money. The employee portfolio is has about the same asset allocation. Company stock still does not have a positve 5yr return.