Retirement benefits

Accidents are inevitable and they come in many forms – from minor injuries to life-changing events – and the right accident insurance can be a critical layer of financial protection for many employees.

Commentary: Plan sponsors should not only understand the importance and benefits of fiduciary roles in a sponsor plan, but also understand the positive impact a fiduciary can have, says columnist John Ludwig.

In an attempt to improve retirement savings rates, Illinois becomes one of the first states to enact a retirement savings plan for people who lack workplace access to 401(k) plans.

Plan sponsors continue to invest 401(k) assets in stocks, but employees and other individuals are increasingly seeking investment diversification.

As employers struggle to find methods to get workers more involved in their 401(k) offerings, it's looking that online education is the best route to build engagement.

Corporate pension plans took a hit last year, dropping 9 percentage points. Analysts point to two key factors as cause for the decline: falling interest rates and new, lower, mortality rates.

A clearer understanding of changing demographics can help employers better support their workers in prioritizing savings and income security needs.

Industry experts offer their 2015 benefits predictions.

Last week, the Center for Due Diligence — a staple to the retirement industry — shuttered its Web site following its decades-long run advising industry and leaders.

Welcome to the 5th annual edition of the ABC’s of Employee Benefits. Given the tremendous amount of activity and volatility in the employee benefits space, this version can be summed up in one sentence: Surround yourself with quality, interested, and engaged help or else 2015 will be a very long and painful year.

Employers who tap into the specific generational needs of their employees and address certain desires could provide an upswing in benefit enrollment.

Having up-to-date investment policy statements is important, but are they plan documents? Do they have to be provided to participants upon request? Here’s what your employer clients need to know.

John Hancock Financial’s planned acquisition of New York Life’s Retirement Plan Services business is expected to grow its private sector retirement plan market to nearly 55,000 retirement plans and 2.5 million plan participants.

Borrowing from workplace wellness programs, plan sponsors may want to consider providing incentives to boost or start employees’ retirement savings.

Employers need to take a fresh look at their retirement plans annually because there is still a “significant problem” with retirement readiness.

The prevalence of automatic enrollment features and qualified default investment alternatives in employer defined contribution plans have led to a huge increase in the use of target-date funds.

President Obama has signed multiemployer pension plan reform into law, which some professionals are touting as the most comprehensive legislation affecting multiemployer pension plans since 1980. What does reform mean for you and your clients?

Signed by President Barack Obama this week, the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014 welcomes substantial changes to the multiemployer pension system that is meant to fortify the retirement future of nearly 10 million workers.

Lockheed Martin, the global security and aerospace company, is in settlement talks with former employees that alleged the company imposed excessive 401(k) plan fees.

The DOL for 2015 has appointed five new members to its ERISA advisory council tasked with investigating and advising the Obama administration on subjects affecting employee benefit plans.