Financial planning

Sales of variable annuities are near their pre-market crash levels, but they aren’t well understood by investors, and one analyst says their guaranteed income stream can get undersold to participants.

Insiders say Sun Life wants to focus more on group and voluntary benefits and one investment firm or another could pay more than $1 billion for an annuities business to access a stable pool of funds for their investment-management operations.

Sales of variable annuities are near their pre-market crash levels, but they aren’t well understood by investors, and one analyst says their guaranteed income stream can get undersold to participants.

In new Pew Research data, noticeably more adults lack confidence about their retirement savings compared to just a few years ago, and those aged 36 to 40 are the most concerned.

MassMutual has webisodes and a seminar lined up for next week for plan sponsors who want to take advantage of the chance to stimulate active participation.

The U.S. Supreme Court won’t be hearing lawsuits that said Citigroup and McGraw-Hill breached their duties as plan sponsors.

Recent data indicates that 401(k)s and other DC plans account for more than 60% of families’ total financial assets.

Fidelity Investments reports that, where previously stock assets were targeted for paying bills and debt, more and more stock participants plan to use that eventual revenue for retirement.

Better retirement plan education combines both online features and in-person meetings, say experts.

Officials from Principal Financial’s best companies for employee fiscal wellness describe how they structure their retirement plans.

A new data analysis from the Employee Benefit Research Institute says retiring five years later in life might not be enough to shore up proper savings.

Market volatility has made annuities markedly more attractive in the past year.

As the emphasis of defined contribution retirement plans shifts from wealth accumulation to income replacement, new pitfalls lie along the new path.

Members of the Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council have scheduled an open forum to discuss disability benefits in defined contribution plans, as well as other topics.

HR pros invest time and effort in the EBN-EBA Financial Fitness Challenge to help employees become financially healthy.

Nearly half of those without annuities in a recent survey worry providers could not meet guaranteed obligations and only 5% were highly knowledgeable on the subject.

Nearly two-thirds of Canadians surveyed have fallen short of their savings goal, and many plan to work part-time to supplement their pension.

Roth IRAs appeal most to the youngest and oldest investors, according to Fidelity, their No. 1 provider, which also reports an “across the board” investment know-how hunger.

Many in the Lone Star State are bucking the idea that moving to 401(k)-style defined-savings plans like Kansas or Rhode Island could help bridge assets with future obligations.

The smallest city in Rhode Island has saved its bondholders at the expense of retirees and fiscal independence.