Wealth management

Retirement confidence among Americans regained some of the losses reported over the past five years – where approximately 18% are very confident and 37% are somewhat confident with the future financial needs – according to a new survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Both the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and Dr. Nouriel Roubini, famed economist (also known as Dr. Doom) and a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, recently expressed unflattering opinions relative to the crypto-currency bitcoin.

Women face additional challenges when it comes to planning and saving for retirement. They often earn less than men and take more time out of the workforce over the course of their careers, which affects retirement plan eligibility and savings.

As employer-sponsored retirement plans are expected to see premium increases from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation this year, along with a possibility of an unsteady market economy and longevity issues, retirement officials are urging plan sponsors to consider de-risking techniques.

New data indicates that target-date funds are used by roughly 55% of the participants in 401(k) plans at Vanguard, referencing a growing attraction to balanced investment options that automatically cuts down risk with age.

The Department of Labor requested public comments this week on a proposal to amend its 408(b)(2) fee disclosure regulations to require service providers to provide plan sponsors with a guide for navigating fee disclosure documents.

Worry is never constructive. It is even less helpful when it alters the way we manage our 401(k) plan investments. Recent behavioral finance studies have shown that the more we worry about our investments, the more conservatively we invest.

Are your clients prepared for a 401(k) plan audit? When the Employee Benefits Security Administration knocks on the door and starts requesting plan documents, financial records, account statements, contracts and more, it can be overwhelming. The best offense is a good defense, so be prepared. Take a glimpse into a recent audit and the laundry list of documents requested.

Employees are much more fearful of making bad investment decisions than they are of doing nothing and missing out on a potentially good investment, leading many to invest too conservatively in their 401(k) plans.

As someone who has reviewed hundreds of retirement-related studies, I admit to being quite jaded with respect to retirement statistics: Various versions of "people are not saving enough", with no one telling me what I do not already know. However, I have to admit these figures - excerpted from pbs.org - caught even me off guard. See if you are as shocked as I was by these five statistics:

Good news for baby-boomers! More employers are actively recruiting workers 50 and over; while fewer mature workers say they plan to put-off retirement, a CareerBuilder Survey shows.

Recent behavioral finance studies have shown that most participants invest too conservatively. Helping employees understand and overcome ambiguity is a good first step toward making them better 401(k) investors.

401(k) and 403(b) plan sponsors – armed with a professional retirement plan adviser – are more likely to painlessly administer and achieve fiduciary needs for participants, according to a new study from the Retirement Advisor Council.

Lawmakers in Maryland and Wisconsin are working to make retirement plans more readily available to private sector employees. Their efforts follow recently enacted California legislation that requires employers to contribute 3% of a worker’s salary to a retirement account.

Chad Parks, CEO of The Online 401(k), debuts his film, “Broken Eggs,” which follows real Americans’ financial realities and retirement savings hardships.

The 5,800 U.S. employees of BlackRock, Inc. do get a nice side benefit to their company’s vast reputation for financial management: They have a holistic financial wellness program that most of us could only dream about.

Despite its reputation for money management, financial giant BlackRock, Inc. recognized that its own employees still needed help making the right decisions about retirement and health care savings.

While the intent of DOL fee disclosure regulations was to benefit retirement plan participants, results indicate there is much left to be desired. Employees have no idea what to look for or what their 401(k) fees even mean.

The “retirement crisis” facing America, a phrase coincidentally coined by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, is a growing concern for defined contribution plan sponsors looking to provide a continued source of income to current and future retirees. As a direct result, the New York-based asset management shop said Wednesday that its CoRI Indexes can help to alleviate participants’ fears of running out of money.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision to hear arguments over Fifth Third Bancorp v. Duddenhoeffer – a case that questions whether it’s prudent for companies to offer employee stock ownership within 401(k) investment schemes – will be front and center for retirement plan sponsors this spring.