Employee benefits

Most Americans still aren't saving anywhere near enough money to afford the dignified retirement they all claim is so important to them. Even worse, most don't have any idea exactly how much they'll need if they were to begin saving today for their golden years.

The barometer is falling when it comes to how well companies are helping employees focus on their retirement income as well as retirement savings. In a new report on Fortune 1000 companies, MetLife’s inaugural Qualified Retirement Plan Barometer assigned a score across all plan types of 59 out of a possible 100. The higher the barometer, the stronger the overall culture of retirement income. While individual scores vary, the companies that offer broad access to defined benefit and defined contribution plans outpace plan sponsors who offer only a DC plan or incidental access to a DB plan as well as a DC plan.

Target-date funds became the leading default investment option for auto-enrolled retirement plans for a reason: The simplicity of an age-appropriate, asset allocation strategy that grew more conservative as plan participants edged closer to retirement age.

Nearly 15 million people in the United States take care of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, amounting to 17 billion hours or more than $202 billion in unpaid care, Alzheimer's experts said on Tuesday.

Prices for prescription drugs rose at a faster rate than costs for other medical goods and services over the last four years, according to a new government report.

Could a U.S. Department of Labor plan to broaden the definition of a fiduciary for the purpose of giving investment advice undermine the level of service that producers offer their employer clients?

A large majority of Massachusetts residents are satisfied with the commonwealth's subsidized health plan, which has components similar to the Obama administration's federal plan, according to a poll released on Thursday.

Four medical associations representing more than 350,000 primary care physicians have issued new guidelines for patient-centered medical home recognition and accreditation programs.

Catalyst Health Solutions Inc said it will buy Walgreen Co's pharmacy benefits management unit for about $525 million in cash, a deal that might spur more consolidation before big generic drug launches that could boost the business.

Women are more affected than men by the intrusion of work into their home-life through e-mails, phone calls and texts and report higher levels of psychological distress, according to new research.

Fiduciary concerns ranked high on the list of hot topics at this week’s American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries annual summit in Las Vegas, Nevada.

From analyzing the developing definition of fiduciary to discussing the best ways for advisers to differentiate themselves from the competition, the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries 10th anniversary 401(k) SUMMIT gave more than 950 attendees plenty of tricks of the trade to improve their business and stay informed on industry developments.

Johnson Controls Inc., the Wisconsin-based automotive interiors giant, came out on top on the most recent list of the 100 best corporate citizens in America.

When employers present employees with an easy, one-click option to enroll in or make a contribution change to their 401(k) plan during the annual health benefits process, the result is significant increases in 401(k) participation.

Major brokerage firms are taking different tacks in preparing brokers for expected new rules from the Department of Labor that will constrict their ability to advise companies on retirement plans.

A new report from Kalorama Information, a New York-based research firm, estimates the U.S. electronic health records market at nearly $15.8 billion and predicts it will increase to $31.9 billion in 2015.

U.S. women have made big economic and educational gains in recent years, but they still trail men in terms of pay and participation in the workforce, according to a White House report released on Tuesday.

People who have to make treatment decisions for a seriously ill family member may suffer emotional consequences as a result, according to a study published Monday.

Democratic senators on Tuesday expressed concern that companies hired to help pay and oversee medical claims under the Medicare health insurance program may have costly conflicts of interest.

The American Institute of Stress estimates that stress in the workplace costs U.S. corporations over $300 billion annually.