Retirement

The new Roth in-plan conversions are getting a lot of press. Here’s what you will need to be ready for the questions heading your way.

More than eight in 10 Americans (84%) expect to see their dentist this year for regular cleanings while less than half (43%) plan to meet with their financial adviser to review their investment strategies, according to a survey on retirement from the PNC Financial Services Group.

Western European nations, backed by strong health care and retiree social programs, dominated the top of the list, snagging the first 10 slots in an index based on data from sources including the World Bank and the United Nations.

Advisers are familiar with the general challenge of getting people to take advantage of sound financial advice and do more to achieve retirement goals. A recent survey by PNC Financial Services Group quantifies that challenge, and points to some ways to overcome it.

Illinois became the second state to settle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over charges it misled investors about a growing shortfall in its employee pension funds as it sold $2.2 billion in bonds.

The Principal Financials’ Aaron Friedman says we are seeing 403(b) plan sponsors interested in reviewing their plan designs as they look to further clean up initial steps that were taken just a few years ago. This additional work is based on their own experience with compliance under the final regulations, as well as the administrative lessons they’ve learned.

Defined contribution plan sponsors who have yet to get on board with auto-enrollment -- a trend that began more than a decade ago -- are now in the minority. One study published last week in Science magazine found that 56% auto-enroll participants -- up sharply from 19% back in 2005. The study by behavioral economists Shlomo Benartzi and Richard Thayler also found that a slim majority (51%) of sponsors has embraced auto-escalation of deferral amounts.

MassMutual’s fourth quarter data show that the average 401(k) deferral rate for female participants was 5.38%, an increase of 1.6% for the quarter. In comparison, male participants are saving at 5.81% on average, an increase of 1.2% from the previous quarter.

We’re starting your week with three important facts, developments or conversations from recent and upcoming events. This week, we’ll look at why uninsured Americans’ hospital bills are so high, more official steps forward by HHS on public exchanges and HHS goals for tech improvements in 2013.

It’s getting a lot of press. “It” is the provision in the recently passed American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 that now allows participants in 401(k) plans to convert existing traditional 401(k) balances to Roth 401(k) balances.