401(k)

Commentary: Delivering fee disclosure notices to both plan sponsors and plan participants has helped some plan sponsors to lower their costs, but the various fee disclosures are still difficult for many to understand. With such a national focus on fees, some plan sponsors have taken the opportunity to review and rethink how they handle plan fees.

There are more ways for defined contribution plan participants to gain access to professional investment management than by defaulting them into target-date funds or using a separately managed account.

Retirement assets in the U.S. jumped to nearly $25 trillion in the first quarter of 2015, a 1.3% jump from $24.6 trillion at the end of the year.

What kind of employee takes advantage of the chance to select from potentially thousands of investment options available through a 401(k) brokerage account?

Plan sponsors can choose from three outside providers: Mesirow Financial, Morningstar Associates and Wilshire Associates.

Known as Explanation No 9, the document is to be used in conjunction with Form 8387, Worksheet 9 – Determination of Qualification and Form 8399, Deficiency Checksheet 9.

Student loan debt and jobs that don’t offer 401(k) plans put added pressure on retirement savings for millennial workers.

OneAmerica announces plans to buy BMO Financial Group’s Milwaukee-based U.S. retirement services business.

Commentary: The term ‘fiduciary’ is often hard to define and can be interpreted in many ways, so it begs the question: How can plan sponsors best fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities in the context of a mandatory distribution program?

The majority of investors still believe in the American dream but many workers do not have a written financial plan to help them achieve their retirement goals.

The average mutual fund investor typically underperforms the indexes each year by a wide margin. What can 401(k) plan participants (who comprise the majority of mutual fund investors) do to keep from sabotaging their annual returns?

While they have become a standard option in most employer-sponsored retirement programs, how much do participants really know about glide paths and real TDF performance?

With strategic federal-level assistance for retirement still lagging, states including Illinois, California and Oregon have stepped in with their own automatic IRA plans to boost employee savings.

The public has until July 21 to submit comments on the proposal that would expand the fiduciary standard to thousands of brokers and advisers who provide retirement investment advice.

There are a few factors holding plan sponsors back from offering many of the tools that have been shown to increase retirement plan participation and outcomes.

Market timing and frequent trades within 401(k) plan mutual funds seem to be a thing of the past, according to the Government Accountability Office.

As participants age and their retirement investment requirements become less easily satisfied by cookie-cutter target date funds, the use of managed accounts as qualified default investment alternatives in 401(k) plans may grow.

When employers are talking to employees about retirement readiness, Social Security benefits should figure into the conversation, particularly for those nearing retirement.

Aiming to simplify a process akin to “herding cats,” with no unity or way to compare offerings, exchange helps plan sponsors with their fiduciary responsibility.

Many employees may not be aware they have the option of a Roth 401(k), and those who do often don't have any idea which to pick -- the traditional 401(k) or the Roth 401(k).