Fundsters looking to distribute mid-cap mutual funds through 401(k) plans may want to take a look at BrightScope's latest list. Today the San Diego-based retirement plan data specialists unveiled its ranking of the top 15 mid-cap funds (by assets) in the 50,000- plus 401(k) plans BrightScope tracks. Seven of those funds (nearly half) belong to giant fund firms that can distribute through their own 401(k) recordkeeping platforms: Fidelity [see profile], T. Rowe Price [see profile] and Vanguard [see profile].

"Mid-cap funds often receive little attention from plan sponsors when reviewing their retirement plan's investment menu with consultants and advisors," stated Mike Alfred, co-founder and CEO of BrightScope. "Despite a general perception that mid-cap funds may have peaked in terms of distribution in retirement plans, opportunisitic investment managers are still pursuing new mandates in this asset class as vigorously as ever."

The list is:

1) Fidelity Low-Priced Stock;

2) T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth;

3) Vanguard Mid Capitalization Index;

4) [Columbia Acorn [see profile];

5) Vanguard Extended Market Index;

6) Fidelity Mid-Cap Stock;

7) Artisan Mid Cap [see profile];

8) Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value [see profile];

9) SSgA S&P Mid Cap 400 Index [see profile];

10) BlackRock Extended Equity Market Index [see profile];

11) Fidelity Value;

12) Perkins Mid Cap Value [see profile];

13) Baron Growth [see profile];

14) T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Value; and

15) Rainier Small/Mid Cap Equity [see profile].

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Company Press Release

SAN DIEGO, CA--(October 04, 2011) - BrightScope (www.brightscope.com), a leading provider of independent financial information and investment research, today announced the Top 15 Mid- Cap Funds in the defined contribution industry. This list is one in a series of rankings BrightScope will regularly publish to provide investment managers, mutual fund companies, investors, and others with more insight into the top funds and managers in the retirement marketplace. The proliferation of this critical information will dramatically increase the efficiency of the marketplace and lead to lower cost plans and better outcomes for the 60 million Americans who depend on their 401k plan for retirement.

"Mid-cap funds often receive little attention from plan sponsors when reviewing their retirement plan's investment menu with consultants and advisors," said Mike Alfred, co-founder and CEO of BrightScope. "Despite a general perception that mid-cap funds may have peaked in terms of distribution in retirement plans, opportunistic investment managers are still pursuing new mandates in this asset class as vigorously as ever."

Since its infancy, the 401k marketplace has suffered from a lack of quality data that is comprehensive enough to be useful for most strategic functions. Historically, it has been virtually impossible to determine a specific mutual fund's total distribution in 401k plans. BrightScope's revolutionary database includes a detailed investment menu on more than 50,000 plans, representing nearly 90 percent of all the assets in 401ks. With this dataset, BrightScope is able to provide detailed analysis of total fund distributions.

The Top 15 Mid-Cap Funds by total distribution include:

1. Fidelity Low-Priced Stock

2. T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Growth

3. Vanguard Mid Capitalization Index

4. Columbia Acorn

5. Vanguard Extended Market Index

6. Fidelity Mid-Cap Stock

7. Artisan Mid Cap

8. Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Value

9. SSgA S&P Mid Cap 400 Index

10. BlackRock Extended Equity Market Index

11. Fidelity Value

12. Perkins Mid Cap Value

13. Baron Growth

14. T. Rowe Price Mid-Cap Value

15. Rainier Small/Mid Cap Equity

BrightScope's technology uncovers audited financial data on investment funds held within real 401k plans. The BrightScope database is superior to the industry's traditional survey-based approach. When surveys are done, they usually capture no more than 10 percent of total distribution and skew heavily towards funds prominent in the survey company's client base. Through BrightScope Beacon, investment managers can access comprehensive data, giving them a transparent view into their own fund distribution, as well as the distribution of their competitors.

For more information, please visit www.brightscope.com.

About BrightScope

BrightScope is a financial information company that brings transparency to opaque markets through independent research and analysis. Delivered through web-based software, BrightScope data drives better decision-making for individual investors, corporate plan sponsors, asset managers, broker-dealers, and financial advisors. The BrightScope Rating™, developed in partnership with leading independent 401k fiduciaries, reviews more than 200 unique data inputs per plan and calculates a single numerical score which defines plan quality at the company level. In April 2011, the company launched BrightScope Advisor Pages™, the first comprehensive and publicly available directory of financial advisors designed to help consumers discover information and conduct due diligence on wealth management professionals. BrightScope also markets a suite of data analytics software products to Fortune 1000 companies, asset managers, broker-dealers, financial advisors, and other market participants. Public ratings for more than 55,000 retirement plans as well as rating definitions, criteria and methodologies, and information on more than 450,000 financial advisors are available for free at www.brightscope.com. 

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