Financial wellness

The average mutual fund investor typically underperforms the indexes each year by a wide margin. What can 401(k) plan participants (who comprise the majority of mutual fund investors) do to keep from sabotaging their annual returns?

Market timing and frequent trades within 401(k) plan mutual funds seem to be a thing of the past, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Accounting for the needs of multiple generations in a financial wellness program can seem overwhelming.

Commentary: As the boomer generation moves further into traditional retirement years, evolving employee expectations are altering the benefits landscape more significantly than at any other time in recent history.

While employers define the topic in different ways, most are focused solely on the physical.

Commentary: If the objective of the Chamber of Commerce’s study on the DOL’s proposed fiduciary rules was to scare small business owners, clearly it succeeded. But it certainly failed on another level.

Small businesses will pay a big price if the Department of Labor’s proposed changes to the fiduciary rules go into effect, says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Lower income employees present a particular challenge to employers as they seek to get a handle on managing their health plans.

Women tend to stress out more than men when it comes to retirement, but they also report more positive experiences in retirement.

Low-cost lending and credit-establishment services emerge as a new benefit to help employees make better financial decisions.

When the recently proposed fiduciary rules are finalized there will likely continue to be significant differences between how Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) and brokers interact with their retirement plan clients from a fiduciary standpoint.

Many assume that a wealthy upbringing is essential for an early retirement, but recent studies show those who plan to retire early were no more likely to describe their family growing up as wealthy/affluent, or financially comfortable, than people who planned to stay in the workforce longer.

Although 401(k) plan participation is increasing, employees are not actively managing their accounts.

Suffocating under large loans and with little savings, the majority Gen Xers admit being bogged down with uncertainty when planning for retirement.

Trust and education are some of the more favorable characteristics sought in retirement plan providers, as well as key drivers to increasing employee engagement. However, that education is lacking, as most employees have a poor understanding of retirement language.

The recent Supreme Court decision in Tibble v. Edison, though largely favorable to plaintiffs, does contain one silver lining for plan sponsors.

If your retirement plan provider hasn’t yet entered the mobile app market, you could be missing out on an important opportunity to educate your 401(k) plan members.

To avoid breach of fiduciary duty claims in the future, retirement plan sponsors need to reexamine the investment policy statement for their 401(k) plans to make sure they are doing enough to make sure workers’ retirement funds are invested in the lowest fee and best investments possible.

There’s no surprise retirement readiness is a top concern among small employers, with their employees are most at risk – a conversation that took center stage when President Barack Obama unveiled the “MyRA” initiative for employers last year.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision Monday that could have far-reaching implications for how long a retirement plan participant has to sue an employer for breach of fiduciary duty in a 401(k) plan.