Why are 401(k) participation rates so much lower at smaller employers?
A reluctance to auto-enroll employees is one reason, but there are others for advisers to consider.
Retirement readiness
Employee retirement confidence on the decline
A number of large employers are responding to the troubling trend by offering financial wellness and education programs to employees.
Benefits Think Advisers: Here’s how you improve the broken 401(k) plan system
Making plans transferable from employer to employer can help clients attract and retain top talent.
Spencer Williams
Portability Services Network and Retirement Clearinghouse
4 things workers should consider when retiring before a spouse
Employees should look into filing for Social Security as soon as they retire to generate extra income and allow their spouse to delay and grow their retirement benefit.
Merrill Lynch puts a new face on its retirement tools
Updated calculators and a leaner interface are intended to raise awareness of “retirement readiness.”
Uncertain of fiduciary rule, plan sponsors zero in on fees
Regardless of the regulation’s future, employers need to ensure they’re passing costs on to plan participants that are reasonable in light of the services provided.
Awaiting fate of fiduciary rule, plan sponsors focus on fee reasonableness
Regardless of the regulation’s future, employers need to ensure they’re passing costs on to plan participants that are reasonable in light of the services provided.
Benefits Think The five bad investment habits that retirement plan sponsors should consider
By taking these into account, advisers can do a better job of helping employees prepare for their golden years.
Gregory Kasten
Unified Trust Company
Setting 401(k) goals: How millennials can fix investment mistakes
A study has found that while millennial employees are saving for retirement, they are making mistakes that can be easily corrected.
Benefits Think Employers: Here’s how you improve the broken 401(k) plan system
If plan sponsors don’t use technology to create seamless plan-to-plan portability, they risk turning their accounts into islands cut off from other retirement plans.
Spencer Williams
Portability Services Network and Retirement Clearinghouse
Merrill Lynch puts a new face on its retirement tools
Updated calculators and a leaner interface are intended to raise awareness of “retirement readiness.”
Benefits Think Best practices for mandatory retirement plan distributions
The updated census provides a golden opportunity for sponsors to clean up their plans.
Jess DeGabriele
LHD Retirement
Thanks to tax cuts, employers beef up retirement efforts
From Roth 401(k) accounts to HSAs, companies are increasingly enhancing programs to help employees get ready for their post-work years.
Benefits Think Best practices for mandatory retirement plan distributions
The updated census provides a golden opportunity for sponsors to clean up their plans.
Jess DeGabriele
LHD Retirement
Benefits Think RIP fiduciary rule? Not so fast
Despite the recent Fifth Court ruling, it’s too soon to say the regulation is dead. There may be a rehearing, and most importantly, best practice standards will live on.
Carol Buckmann
Cohen & Buckmann PC
Benefits Think Why employers should help employees understand the benefits of Roth 401(k)s
As a retirement planning tool, contributions to these accounts can offer plan participants a more nuanced approach to retirement saving than a traditional 401(k) plan can on its own.
Kerry Bandow
Willis Towers Watson
Benefits Think RIP fiduciary rule? Not so fast
Despite the recent Fifth Court ruling, it’s too soon to say the regulation is dead. There may be a rehearing, and most importantly, best practice standards will live on.
Carol Buckmann
Cohen & Buckmann PC
Thanks to tax cuts, employers beef up retirement efforts
From Roth 401(k) accounts to HSAs, companies are increasingly enhancing programs to help employees get ready for their post-work years.
Benefits Think 401(k) best practices: employee education
Plan sponsors should connect with workers by integrating financial wellness concepts, including behavioral finance/economics elements, talking about loans and withdrawals and offering one-on-one meetings.
Robert C. Lawton
Lawton Retirement Plan Consultants
Will employees’ target-date 401(k) funds blow up their retirement?
These funds can help workers put saving plans on autopilot, but they can also take on more risk than expected.
