Nonqualified deferred compensation plans are on the upswing.

The use of online calculators and retirement advisers has been linked to higher levels of retirement confidence.

Humana Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc. rose after congressional researchers said the U.S. Medicare program has the authority to raise payments to insurers.

Covered California, Digital Insurance, Alegeus Technologies and more announce personnel moves. Check to see if a colleague is mentioned today.

Spring is a time of new growth. The buds on trees start to appear, dormant flowers launch their annual makeover, and the grass begins its transition to a beautiful shade of deep green. If only growth in your business was as easy as waiting for warmer weather.

In a recent letter to Acting Secretary of Labor Seth Harris, six members of the Congressional Black Caucus warned that if the DOL’s 2010 fiduciary proposal is re-proposed this year without significant changes, the rule “could disparately impact retirement savers and investment representatives in the African-American community,” according to the letter.

On the last day of 2012 the IRS updated the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS), published as Rev. Proc 2013-12. The program allows plan sponsors to declare, fix and pay penalties (where applicable) for certain operational or demographic missteps under the “voluntary correction program” (VCP)

Apparently some plan sponsors and even advisers overlook a basic resource when conducting 401(k) enrollment and education sessions: The TPA. “Advisers are sometimes surprised to see a TPA at the meeting,” says Beth Harrington, president of Benefit Resources Inc. in Sacramento. “That shocks me.”

T. Rowe Price, the mutual fund giant, recently completed a study which showed that participants should average 15% in contributions into their 401(k) plan accounts each year to achieve retirement readiness. Approximately three years ago, Alliance Bernstein conducted a similar study which came to basically the same conclusion.

40% of employers anticipate that their company’s wellness budget will increase in the near future, a recent OptumHealth shows — and many are finding quick, easy ways to incorporate healthy living into the work day.

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.

PPACA takes us back to the future, says blogger Mark Gaunya. Rewind the tape and go back to 1978 when cafeteria plans were born, then fast forward the tape to 2013 and apply state-of-the-art technology. What do you have? An electronic cafeteria plan we now call an insurance exchange or marketplace if we want to be politically correct.

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.

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.

This week we’ll look at some important PPACA milestones on its third anniversary, why health care stocks are at a 15-year high and what MetLife’s CEO has to say about taxes.

The Senate adopted a proposal yesterday that would modestly reduce the U.S. debt through higher taxes for top earners as part of the first budget plan the Democratic-controlled body has passed in four years.

The Federal Reserve should pay more attention to the harm inflicted on savers by record-low interest rates, says Steven Kandarian, the chairman and chief executive officer of MetLife Inc., the largest U.S. life insurer.