Advisers Latest

The Shrinking Emergency Account Losses (SEAL) Act, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), is before the Senate again. The bill, originally proposed in 2011, would give 401(k) participants who borrow against their 401(k) retirement plans more time to replenish their accounts after leaving a job.

A recent academic study examined whether mutual fund companies that act as trustees for 401(k) plans “display favoritism towards their own funds.” Although its conclusions will not shock many advisers, the research can be useful as a source of independent evidence on this important issue, and reinforce the vital role that an independent adviser can play in overseeing plan investments.

Most Investment Committees spend the majority of their meeting time talking about things they can't do anything about.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for legislation to make New York the first U.S. city to require stores to conceal tobacco products, a week after a court struck down his ban on the sale of large sugary beverages.

Gen. McChrystal talked at MetLife’s National Benefits Symposium on Monday in Washington, divulging lessons learned from the experience that forced his resignation as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

President Barack Obama named Thomas Perez, an assistant U.S. attorney general, as his choice for labor secretary in his second term. Perez would replace Hilda Solis, ensuring that the Labor Department is led again by a Hispanic, helping the president maintain diversity in his cabinet. Solis resigned in January.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation reports that shifting its enforcement policy away from companies unlikely to default on their pensions benefited about 50 businesses by almost $1 billion since the start of a pilot program announced in November.

Last week Richard Stolz in his article, Red Alert for Fiduciaries on Plan Financial Reports properly noted that plan fiduciaries are more vulnerable than ever on a number of compliance matters, including the financial statements included with their 5500 filings.

When small business owners become successful, they become a magnet for questionable deals and speculative investments. So says Bethesda, Md., planner Jeff Leventhal, who has developed a specialized practice serving entrepreneurs.

Despite the progress made through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on health care access, there are challenges to come from health reform, said Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.) Thursday at the AHIP National Policy Forum in Washington.