Employer Strategies

If plan sponsors are serious about getting stellar 401(k) participation rates, the evidence is stronger than ever that auto-enrollment is a powerful way to achieve it. More hold-outs are getting the message and considering taking the plunge, although only a slim majority already do.

It was only four short years ago that the banter in our participant education sessions revealed that most employees were in the same mode as the capital markets. In a word, they were dismal. Sounding already defeated, it was common to hear things like “I’m never going to be able to retire now,” and “why bother planning…nothing seems to work anymore”.

Diabetes medications are multibillion-dollar drugs and the percentage of Americans diagnosed with the disease continues to grow, but there is evidence that major pharmaceuticals are causing pre-cancerous changes.

Targeting specific demographics will be critical to 2013 open enrollment communications, says Univers’ Dani McCauley. McCauley tells EBN that employers will face a challenging landscape this year communicating health care reform and other benefits changes.

With taxes on everyone’s mind, Jerry Kalish offers something to talk about with a prospective client who is thinking about starting a retirement plan.

The ability to provide a balance of risk between sponsor and participant through a hybrid design is drawing interest--even among small employers.

Record for 2012 hit despite de-risking by some plan sponsors, according to Milliman analysis.

An analysis of seven previous studies showed the beverages appeared to disturb the heart’s natural rhythm, which over time may lead to an irregular heartbeat or death and raise blood pressure.

The American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries is applauding a bipartisan push to make it easier for workers to repay withdrawals they make from their employer-sponsored defined contribution plans.

Communicating ahead of open enrollment is both a broader and a more specific challenge in a post-health care reform world. One expert at Univers talks about how she is prepping her clients and tips for how employers should plan.