Many 401(k) plan financial professionals have already capitalized on the opportunity in the 403(b) market by leveraging their 401(k) plan skills, and being able to distinguish themselves by being savvy in the dynamics that make a 403(b) plan a little different, says guest blogger Aaron Friedman of The Principal Financial.

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.

Capital Group Cos., owner of American Funds, is expanding its investment options and reorganized its equity teams in response to feedback from financial advisers

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, pressed by critics including Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, dropped a plan meant to give pension-cost certainty to local officials that may have left the system unable to pay benefits.

New legislation was issued last night in the Senate that would remove broker compensation from the MLR calculation.

Stable value funds require careful scrutiny in the initial selection phase and on an ongoing basis. A new report offers a comprehensive look at the latest trends, and a helpful due-diligence list to use when you are looking at funds for clients.

Prohibitions against dual compensation for fiduciary advisers haven’t been fully grasped, suggests prominent ERISA attorney Fred Reish.

The California State Teachers’ Retirement System’s $73 billion unfunded liability may be the state’s “most difficult fiscal challenge” and lawmakers should increase funding for the second-largest U.S. pension, the Legislative Analyst’s Office has reported.

Illinois teachers would be asked to choose between pension increase and retiree health under a measure that was adopted by the state’s senate this week. The bill’s impact is a matter of dispute. Illinois’ pension system is the most under-funded state system in the country.

The Labor Department provides more rationale to guide clients to best-in-class asset managers. But consider the case for “quasi-customization.”

The report card, developed by Catalyst for Payment Reform and the Health Care Incentives Improvement Initiative (HCI³), examined multiple transparency factors on a 100-point scale.