Retirement

Private enterprise is limbering up for the 2012 EBN-EBA Financial Fitness Challenge, an online financial-education program sponsored by Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit Adviser in partnership with Educated Investor, a provider of financial education products. Organizations of all types and sizes, from Walmart to Woodchuck Hard Cider, are taking part in the Challenge, which began last month.

Most experts are predicting massive consolidation among DC record keepers - with the big push just about to begin, especially with four national record keepers representing more than 100,000 defined contribution plans likely to change ownership in the next few months.

Private enterprise is limbering up for the 2012 EBN-EBA Financial Fitness Challenge, an online financial-education program sponsored by Employee Benefit News and Employee Benefit Adviser in partnership with Educated Investor.

When we brought home our NEW cockapoo puppy, Cali, our two older dogs were less than enthusiastic. Our husky, Torik, was patiently annoyed, but our big Akita, Connor, strenuously objected to the rambunctious puppy from the beginning. Cali jumped at Connor's face, chased his tail and ran circles around a dog that was five times her size. In response, Connor barked and growled - we were fearful that he would injure her.

Financial services firms are broadening the scope of their retirement advice tools and planning a major push to help advisers understand them. That’s the key takeaway of an industry survey by Hearts & Wallets, a research firm that tracks retirement income trends.

Target-date funds pulled in $13.9 billion in the second quarter despite the nearly 3% loss on average, according to Morningstar.

Target date funds, the most popular investment option in 401(k) plans, are increasing their exposure to exchange traded funds (ETFs), which are rarely used in retirement savings accounts.

House Democrats on Wednesday introduced legislation that would expand the role of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct oversight examinations of investment advisers, a segment of the financial services sector that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have agreed is under regulated.

One-third of “transition boomers,” those aged 55 to 65 and who are 10 years or fewer away from retirement, are unsure how much money they will need to cover basic living expenses in retirement, according to The Transition Boomers and Retirement Income Survey, from Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America.

Worries persist that working Americans aren’t saving enough to afford a life of leisure, but maybe retirement isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.