News Feed

Here's a recent roundup of industry accomplishments. Check to see if a colleague is mentioned this week.

Wells Fargo & Co plans to cut costs by moving its workers into insurance plans that encourage them to spend less on health care.

In the wake of economic and stock market volatility, many 401(k) investors are questioning the wisdom of 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans, a survey by Allianz Life Insurance Company finds.

Automatic enrollment greatly increases participation in 401(k) plans for all racial and ethnic groups, with particular success for Blacks and Hispanics, even among low earners, Vanguard research shows.

It’s getting close to Halloween, which has many of us thinking about ghosts, witches, vampires and zombies. Apparently, the Obama administration is even getting into the spirit of the season, with a zombie of its own. Perhaps, though, you know it better as the CLASS Act. CLASS (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports) is the famous/infamous portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would allow voluntary enrollees to participate in a public long-term care…

The White House is counting long-term care premiums collected under the CLASS Act as $80 billion in deficit reductions over the next decade. However, AP reports, CLASS has yet to be funded while the administration tries to figure out how to keep the program solvent — while still claiming the savings.

An Iowa administrative law judge has blasted QC Mart convenience store owner William Ernst for operating a "firing contest."

With the U.S. economy still unsteady, many companies are finding it relatively easy to attract or retain workers, with one major exception: critical-skill employees. A new survey from Towers Watson and WorldatWork shows that for the second consecutive year, the number of U.S. companies having difficulty finding and keeping critical-skill workers has increased.

Sponsors will fund rising contributions to private pension plans that are still recovering from the investment nosedives of 2008, according to a report released yesterday by the Society of Actuaries and American Academy of Actuaries.

Independent and insurance brokers/dealers are the strongest sales channels for variable annuities, according to The Insured Retirement Institute’s “2011 Portfolio Construction Dynamics” report. But, generating income throughout these broker/dealers’ clients’ retirement doesn’t come without challenges. The report from IRI — in partnership with Cerulli Associates — explores these challenges and offers insight on how to grow adviser acceptance of variable annuities as a retirement income solution.