Retirement education

Women over the age of 65 are twice as likely as men to live in poverty in retirement because of lower wages, more time spent out of the workforce and lack of access to retirement savings plans.

As the baby boom generation approaches retirement, employers will need to ask themselves what role a highly experienced, part-time workforce can play in their organization.

Companies are shifting their attention to health coverage for their pre-65 retiree population and exploring the opportunities public exchanges provide this population, now that the Supreme Court has upheld subsides on the federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace.

As the White House kicks off its Conference on Aging this week, one financial services vendor is launching a new education program for its plan sponsor clients focused on creating greater awareness of the nation’s aging population.

Commentary: Delivering fee disclosure notices to both plan sponsors and plan participants has helped some plan sponsors to lower their costs, but the various fee disclosures are still difficult for many to understand. With such a national focus on fees, some plan sponsors have taken the opportunity to review and rethink how they handle plan fees.

Failure to identify all retirement plan fiduciaries is just one common mistake employers make that can lead to trouble.

There are more ways for defined contribution plan participants to gain access to professional investment management than by defaulting them into target-date funds or using a separately managed account.

The DOL’s proposed definition of fiduciary advice remains worrisomely broad, according to financial and legal experts who are calling upon the industry to flood the DOL with letters of concern about the rule’s possible implications.

Plan sponsors’ loyalty to their retirement service providers is slightly down year-over-year, presenting an opportunity for advisers to advocate for their clients.

Commentary: The term ‘fiduciary’ is often hard to define and can be interpreted in many ways, so it begs the question: How can plan sponsors best fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities in the context of a mandatory distribution program?

The majority of investors still believe in the American dream but many workers do not have a written financial plan to help them achieve their retirement goals.

While they have become a standard option in most employer-sponsored retirement programs, how much do participants really know about glide paths and real TDF performance?

The public has until July 21 to submit comments on the proposal that would expand the fiduciary standard to thousands of brokers and advisers who provide retirement investment advice.

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.

Many employees may not be aware they have the option of a Roth 401(k), and those who do often don't have any idea which to pick -- the traditional 401(k) or the Roth 401(k).

Upfront information, auto features and tailoring communication and education specific to younger employees can help boost participation.

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.

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.

Generalists and small-market plan sponsors are likely to be the most negatively affected, according to a retirement conference panel.