Retirement benefits

Although plan sponsors aren't required by law to have one, the investment policy statement is one of the primary documents the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor request when they visit employers for plan audits.

An overwhelming majority of Hispanic and African-Americans say that financial services firms need to hire more diverse staff, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Edward Jones.

Six things plan sponsors should expect from their retirement advisers in 2014 annual review season.

Beneficiary designations could be truly problematic with ERISA 403(b) plans when there are multiple service providers involved. Here's what advisers need to do.

Rising interest rates and a strong stock market contributed to a strong year for defined benefit plans, according to recent research from Towers Watson, with pension plan funding levels rising by 16% last year, the highest level since 2007.

The court agreed with the plaintiff’s contention that while a church-affiliated entity may “maintain” an ERISA-exempt church plan, only plans established directly by a church or convention of churches qualify as church plans.

What does next year look like for retirement plan sponsors and participants? Here’s an early call on what many experts expect to see.

As baby boomers plan to retire in the next five years, nonprofit organizations are readying for the challenges ahead. More than a third of nonprofits surveyed by the Plan Sponsor Council of America anticipate difficulties recruiting staff to fill vacancies left by retiring boomers.

Some 45% of workers in the new survey who found retirement income estimates less than “very helpful” say they did not understand the calculations behind the projections or were not confident in their accuracy, according to LIMRA.

Consider these for you next employee education session.

Quarterly indexed sales set new record at $10 billion.

Wellness is not just about fitness or smoking cessation anymore.

Resolution of government shutdown, debt ceiling deal had positive effect on capital markets.

Adoption of target date funds and managed accounts grow in workplace retirement plans.

Twenty-nine of the nation’s 100 largest have revised estimates in past year.

One retirement expert says ACA is destined to fail and the answer lies in what the 401(k) industry has been preaching for years.

Despite a recent show of political opposition, the U.S. Department of Labor seems poised to press ahead with a proposal to broaden the definition of fiduciary to cover advisers working in the retirement plan segment, a leading opponent of the measure warned on Monday.

How to advise retirement plan participants in response to shifts out of bonds.

Passive approach to retirement investing still indicated.

Several answers might apply, but a good goal is to avoid regulatory difficulties.