Financial planning

The American Benefits Council has introduced its strategic plans for health and retirement policy, providing 46 specific regulatory recommendations for Congress to consider in easing the burdens on employees, employers and government agencies.

Offering financial education can provide a big boost to employee productivity, allowing employees to solve financial dilemmas and refocus on work.

Group annuities are common among 401(k)s because they appear to be cost effective, turnkey options. However, careful due diligence will reveal they are big aggressors when it comes to fees that hinder portfolio growth.

Despite great strides in retirement security, some lawmakers and benefit leaders see an opportunity to revisit tax policies that could help incentivize all Americans to save more as they plan their exits from the workforce.

A recent alert from the Securities and Exchange Commission emphasized how easily and quickly false information can be spread via social media by market manipulators who may be posing as legitimate or trusted sources of information. Plan sponsors may want to communicate this information to their 401(k) plan participants.

A new Senate bill calling for an amendment to a controversial section of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act is expected to save employers and plan sponsors $15 million over the next decade, according to new estimates.

Commentary: Open enrollment time means employer clients will be reviewing fee disclosures. Columnist John Ludwig discusses several steps plan sponsors should take when reviewing the disclosures for accuracy and to determine if fees are fair and reasonable.

Since joining the NFL Players Association 25 years ago, Dana Hammonds has launched a successful financial education program and constantly fine-tuned educational topics and outreach to meet players’ needs. She is the recipient of EBN’s 2014 Benny Award for Leadership in Retirement Planning.

Many studies indicate that workers should save at least 12% to 15% of their income each year. It is likely that most 401(k) plan participants are not saving anything near this amount.

Target-date funds continue to increase in popularity among investors as low-cost retirement vehicles, at the same time the Internet and increased benchmarking have made the retirement industry more transparent than ever.

New data reveals only 46% of middle-market consumers have individual life insurance, and that more than three quarters of consumers age 25-64 say they would benefit from more close guidance from financial services professionals in adding that important voluntary benefit.

With such a wide range of opinions about how much money employees need to save for retirement – estimates vary from eight to 25 times final pay – it can be hard for participants to know what to aim for.

Just like the gender gap in pay, there’s a gender gap in financial literacy, which includes knowledge of investing, retirement planning, saving, real estate, insurance and tax planning. Although the gap is narrowing, advisers can provide the educational tools needed — particularly in retirement preparedness — to catch women up to men.

Employees and other investors are increasingly looking to advisers for help with retirement investment advice and strategies, new research shows.

The Department of Labor is evaluating the use of brokerage windows in 401(k) plans and is offering employers, benefit advisers, and other stakeholders an opportunity to weigh in on the subject.

HighTower has recruited newly formed 401(k) practice Fiduciary Plan Advisors to its network platform.

When they leave the workforce, Generation X may be in a similar, not worse, retirement situation than baby boomers given their access to automatic enrollment in defined contribution plans and the growth of their future plan contributions, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently adopted amendments to the rules that govern money market mutual funds. Two of the changes could affect how you manage your 401(k) plan.

Commentary: When the discussion about retirement plan costs focuses too heavily on fees, Blogger Aaron Friedman says it's up to advisers to demonstrate the value employers receive in return for the price they pay.

Commentary: Retirement specialist John Ludwig reviews the consequences of an employer’s failure to make timely deposits to a participant’s retirement account.