Employee benefits

The DOL’s proposed fiduciary rule would likely push some commission-based brokers out of the retirement market altogether, NAIFA’s JuIi McNeely testified during the second day of DOL hearings on the proposed rule.

While it’s widely assumed that defined benefit plans provide better retirement benefits than defined contribution plans that might not always the case.

Commentary: How do we help employees get to the point they can feel they can retire, asks columnist John Ludwig.

As the Department of Labor hears from the retirement plan services industry this week during hearings into its proposed fiduciary rule, new research reveals many 401(k) plan sponsors are eyeing formal reviews of their plans.

Complete, ongoing coverage on the Labor Department's hearings on its proposal to impose fiduciary requirements on retirement advisors from SoureMedia's Financial Planning, On Wall Street, Employee Benefit Advisor and Employee Benefit News.

Of the many industry critiques of the Department of Labor's fiduciary proposal, one of the most oft-repeated is the assertion that new regulations would cut off access to advice for low- and middle income investors — precisely the segment of consumers the initiative aims to protect.

Commentary: With employees fighting back and winning against high fees and a new fiduciary standard on the way, we’re on the cusp of some radical changes to the corporate retirement landscape.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has awarded consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton a $202 million contract to be the marketplace system integrator, or general contractor, which includes the federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace, parts of the state-run marketplaces and more.

The Plan Sponsor Council of America outlines its concerns over the DOL’s proposal to impose fiduciary requirements on retirement advisers.

Despite potential savings offered, voluntary programs that provide discounts on products, services and tickets to employees are rarely used and seeing almost no growth year-over-year.

Based on the questions at the oral arguments, how might the Supreme Court rule on King v. Burwell and what are the implications of such a ruling? Watch as Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University, discusses potential outcomes of the ruling, expected later this month.

In its first day of hearings about the proposed fiduciary rule, the DOL has heard testimony from advisers, legal experts and other industry representatives — many seeking revisions to minimize the ‘burden’ of the rule’s future implementation.

Concerns about over-regulation and accusations of industry cynicism led the opening of the Labor Department's hearings on its proposal to impose fiduciary requirements on retirement advisers — the latest phase of its contentious process to craft new rules on consumer protections.

Despite a growing optimism about their financial situations, African-Americans still participate in their employer-sponsored retirement plans at lower rates than the general population, indicating a continued need for employers to focus on retirement plan education.

Employers must make appropriate religious accommodations – just ask UPS and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Brokers continue to be a vital resource for individuals enrolling in health care coverage on the marketplaces setup under the ACA, with some brokers saying in 2015 they helped more than 100 individuals enroll in health care coverage on the marketplaces.

Employers are realizing that employees really respond when they not only promote their company retirement plan, but contribute to it.

The business response to the ACA, coupled with the growing health care consumerism movement, is rapidly changing the relationship between employer and employee.

Next-generation total compensation statements meet employees’ demands for real-time benefits information and can offer employers a powerful recruiting tool.

Commentary: We have to stop and recognize that certain industries will always offer better benefits than others, adviser David C. Smith says of Netflix’s news it will offer a full year of paid parental leave.