Retirement

Recent behavioral finance studies have shown that most participants invest too conservatively. Helping employees understand and overcome ambiguity is a good first step toward making them better 401(k) investors.

401(k) and 403(b) plan sponsors – armed with a professional retirement plan adviser – are more likely to painlessly administer and achieve fiduciary needs for participants, according to a new study from the Retirement Advisor Council.

With a divide among employer populations, a new survey meant to kick off America Saves Week finds that savings challenges remain as employees struggle to save what they can, both for their immediate needs and their eventual retirement.

Lawmakers in Maryland and Wisconsin are working to make retirement plans more readily available to private sector employees. Their efforts follow recently enacted California legislation that requires employers to contribute 3% of a worker’s salary to a retirement account.

Chad Parks, CEO of The Online 401(k), debuts his film, “Broken Eggs,” which follows real Americans’ financial realities and retirement savings hardships.

The 5,800 U.S. employees of BlackRock, Inc. do get a nice side benefit to their company’s vast reputation for financial management: They have a holistic financial wellness program that most of us could only dream about.

Despite its reputation for money management, financial giant BlackRock, Inc. recognized that its own employees still needed help making the right decisions about retirement and health care savings.

Employer-sponsored defined contribution plans – the fundamental core of retirement funds for about 80% of the full-time workers in the nation – need some alterations that will help boost plan participation among the part-time workforce and smaller employers, as well as offer better ways for workers and employers to contribute, according to a white paper released last week.

While the intent of DOL fee disclosure regulations was to benefit retirement plan participants, results indicate there is much left to be desired. Employees have no idea what to look for or what their 401(k) fees even mean.

Baby boomers and Generation X households improved their overall retirement income last year thanks to employer-sponsored 401(k)-type plans and gains from the financial and housing market, new data indicates.