DOL Selects Summit to Conduct New Analyses of Retirement Investments

October 12, 2016 (Washington, D.C.) – Summit Consulting (Summit) announces that the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) has selected the DC-based firm to conduct an analysis of retirement models and investments. Summit will work together with subject matter experts Dr. Alicia Munnell ofthe Center for Retirement Research (CRR)and Dr. Meir Statman of Santa Clara University to provide these services.   

Summit has worked closely with DOL CEOsince September 2011 when the firm was contracted to provide evaluation support to the newly established CEO in its mission to promote high-quality independent evaluations and institutionalize an evidence-based evaluation culture at DOL. Under the new contract, Summit and its partners will conduct two analyses: (1) an evaluation of policy options for increasing the coverage and portability of retirement plans and (2) an environmental scan of the field of investment tools that focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) related investments.   

"We are excited to be working with such eminent researchers as Dr. Munnell and Dr. Statman to help the Department of Labor better understand the important issues of retirement plan coverage and portability and the newer field of ESG investing,” says Dr. China Layne, Summit’s Manager of Data Analytics and Research. 

In the last few decades, the provision of retirement benefits has shifted from defined benefit plans, like company pensions, to defined contribution plans, like 401(k) plans. At the same time, Americans' working lives have increasingly included more job transitions and non-standard work arrangements. It is vitally important that the retirement benefits system is able to adapt to these changes and provide retirement security for all American workers. Summit is pleased to work with our partners on behalf of DOL CEO to support these efforts.   

About Summit:   
Summit is a specialized analytics advisory firm that guides Federal agencies, financial institutions, and litigators as they decode their most complex analytical challenges. Summit’s staff of economists, econometricians, and research scientists use quantitative techniques to assist our clients as they model risk, evaluate program performance, and predict future performance.  

At Summit, we solve complex analytical challenges with unparalleled customer service and extensive client collaboration. Our distinct capabilities include litigation analytics, federal credit modeling and forecasting, health claims data analytics and training, program evaluation, applied statistics and economics, and mortgage finance.  

Summit hosts a solutions-focused academic environment and is dedicated to staying at—and pushing—the forefront of analytics best practices. To that end, our staff members present research at conferences worldwide and partake in intensive in-house technical trainings. Our Principals, Academics, and Research Scientists are recognized experts in their fields and they are capable of leading large and small solution teams. Find out more about Summit by visiting the company website: http://www.summitllc.us/.