Retirement benefits

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.

The IRS has released long-awaited final regulations that clarify market rate of return issues for cash balance and other hybrid plans. The new rules, effective for the first plan year that begins on or after Jan. 1 2016, sponsors of hybrid plans a clearer path forward.

Having an engaging 401(k) plan recordkeeper, partnered with innovative online educational tools, may provide a solution to piercing the Gen Y markets as more and more of the current employee base moves closer to retirement.

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

It’s a good best practice to give your employer client’s 401(k) plan a good compliance review every year. Here’s a checklist of some IRS suggested corrective mechanisms that can be taken to bring a plan into compliance.

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.

The impending post-retirement health costs of America’s baby boomers may still seem remote, but benefits managers would do well to help their older workers by working together to consider those potentially explosive concerns – and include them in a comprehensive employee health plan.

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.

Turn to Barbara Delaney, founder and principal at StoneStreet Advisor Group, to know what’s next for retirement plans.

Expectations of retirement haven’t quite bounced back since the recession, and retirement security is increasingly becoming a topic of concern for workers around the world.

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.

Some industry sectors are bucking the trend from defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution plans, with more than half of companies in the insurance and utility sectors still offering DB and DC retirement plans to new salaried employees.

Despite the ever-changing world, ERISA remains strong and steady. The average American worker is far better off because of ERISA, which has held up remarkably well over the past four decades.

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.

On the 40th anniversary of ERISA, benefits attorney Howard Shapiro contemplates the differences between this landmark piece of legislation and another, the Affordable Care Act.

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.

While American employees appreciate having a 401(k) plan, the majority will likely spend more time planning for a new car purchase or vacation than researching their plan’s investment options.