National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust 

JANUARY 2020 

QUARTERLY UPDATE
 

FOR THE PERIOD ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2019 

The National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (the "Trust") issues a Quarterly Update 

to provide current information on the Trust’s operations and activities relating to its investment 

operations. This update reports on the Trust’s activities for the quarter ending December 31, 2019. 

Copies of the Trust's Annual Management Report and each Quarterly Update are available on the 

website of the Railroad Retirement Board ("RRB"), http://www.rrb.gov. 

As of December 31, 2019, the Trust had received a total of $21.3 billion from the Treasury 

for investment. Most of this amount was transferred to the Trust periodically during the first six 

months of its 2003 fiscal year beginning in October 2002. No transfers from the Treasury have been 

received by the Trust since the Trust’s fiscal year ended September 30, 2004. In the quarter ended 

December 31, 2019, the Trust continued to transfer monies to the Treasury to help fund benefit 

payments and administrative expenses of the Railroad Retirement Account (“RRA”). Transfers to 

the Treasury during the quarter amounted to $426 million. Since the Trust’s inception, it has 

transferred a total of $25.1 billion to the Treasury. 

Investment Objectives 

The Trust’s primary investment objectives are to establish a portfolio that will achieve a 

long-term rate-of-return on assets sufficient to enhance the financial strength of the railroad 

retirement system and to do so in a diversified manner that minimizes the risk of large losses. 

Achievement of these objectives will facilitate the payment of benefits by the Railroad Retirement 

Board and the United States Treasury. To further these objectives the Trust has established an 

asset allocation policy and will seek to add value by obtaining returns that are in the aggregate 

greater than the returns of its strategic policy benchmark for this asset allocation. In addition, the 

Trust takes other appropriate steps to manage investment risk and volatility effectively. 

In 2002, the Trust conducted its first comprehensive asset allocation study for the purpose 

of analyzing alternative asset allocation strategies for the Trust. The study analyzed the long-term 

expected return, risk, and return correlation of various asset classes, as well as the expected return 

and risk of various portfolios of these asset classes. In 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 

2017, the Trust took steps to review and update its asset allocation. As a result of these reviews, 

the Trustees have refined periodically the Trust’s asset allocation policy and strategic policy 

benchmark. 

TRUSTEES: 

Chair: William F. Quinn 

Independent Trustee 

George J. Francisco, Jr. 

President Emeritus 

National Conference of Firemen and 

Christopher R. Neikirk 

AVP Finance 

Norfolk Southern Corporation 

Joel Parker 

Labor Trustee 

 Oilers - SEIU 

Beth Miller 

Richard G. Patsy 

Assistant Vice President Pensions and

William C. Walpert 

National Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus 

AVP Treasury & Risk Managment 

BNSF Railway Company 

Investments 

CSX Corporation 

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers

 and Trainmen (BLET) 
 

 

 

 

 

 

The Trust's current asset allocation policy and strategic policy benchmark are contained in its 

Investment Guidelines which are included as Appendix B of the Trust’s Annual Management Report. 

The investment performance for the Trust, as well as the change in market value of Trustmanaged and RRB-held assets, is summarized below for the most recent quarter. 

Investment Performance – Net of Fees 

for the Quarter ended December 31, 2019 

Trust-Managed Assets: 5.41% 

Strategic Policy Benchmark: 5.42% 

Market Value of Assets 

(Asset values are in billions of dollars) 

Trust-managed assets 

As of September 30, 2019 $ 25.4 

As of December 31, 2019 $ 26.4 

Change for quarter ended December 31, 2019 $ 1.0 

Change in Trust-managed assets since inception 

Total transfers from Treasury since inception $ 21.3 

Total transfers to Treasury since inception $-25.1 

Total change in assets since inception $ 30.2 

As of December 31, 2019 $ 26.4 

Trust-managed assets and RRB assets held in reserve 

As of September 30, 2019 $ 27.3 

As of December 31, 2019 $ 27.9 

Change for quarter ended December 31, 2019 $ 0.6 

Financial Market Volatility 

The Trust originally deployed assets received from Treasury into a diversified and balanced 

portfolio of US and non-US equity and US fixed income securities. Over time, the Trust has 

furthered that diversification by allocating a percentage of the portfolio to non-US fixed income 

securities, private equity, private debt, real estate, and commodities. As mandated by its statute, 

the Trust has avoided undue concentration of investment in any asset class, type of security, or 

market sector. This policy of broad diversification is intended to serve the Trust well in strong 

markets and to protect its assets from disproportionate market shocks in volatile periods. As part of 

this diversification process, the Trust holds tens of thousands of different securities selected by its 

investment managers for its portfolio. 

Trustees and investment staff continue to monitor carefully the Trust’s existing investments 

and examine ways to refine its strategies to invest Trust assets in the most effective and prudent 

manner. The Board of Trustees will continue to manage the assets of the Trust as a patient, longterm investor, recognizing its responsibilities to the railroad retirement system, its workers and 

retirees. 

2
 
 

Annual Report 

The Trust’s Annual Management Report contains additional information regarding the Trust’s 

investment activities as well as other financial information. This report can be found on the Railroad 

Retirement Board’s website at http://www.rrb.gov. 

National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust | 2001 K Street NW, Suite 1100 | Washington, DC 20006
 

Whistleblower Hotline: (877) 888-0002
 

3