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A new report provides some interesting insights on 401(k) participants and their behaviors—and reminds of the challenges in tracking trendlines. The report—aptly titled “401(k) Plan Asset Allocation, Account Balances, and Loan Activity in 2022”—provides a snapshot on the how, and how much 401(k)s... READ MORE
Fiducient Advisors, an affiliate of NFP, an Aon company, announced that Mike Goss will take over as President of the firm, following the forthcoming retirement of Mark Wetzel. Wetzel has served as the company’s Managing Partner and President since 2006 and is retiring effective May 3. Goss will... READ MORE
Target date funds (TDF) start off strong only to vary more in investment performance and risk as they approach the specified retirement date, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which asked the Department of Labor (DOL) to do something about it. The GAO called on the DOL to... READ MORE
Are you confident about your retirement finances? Apparently, and despite responses that undermine a rational level of confidence, many are. Last week, the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research unveiled their 34th annual Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS). Now, I’ve... READ MORE
One week after the release of the final retirement security rule, senior officials with the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) defended the rollout of the fiduciary while taking a deeper dive to explain some of the key changes.   The DOL on April 23 released the... READ MORE
Overall, private-sector employees are more than four times as likely to have access to a defined contribution plan than a defined benefit plan, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS in “TED: The Economics Daily” reports that in its most recent National Compensation Survey... READ MORE
Let’s be honest: the label “managed account” has been broadly applied—some might say TOO broadly applied—in some cases to platforms that really are little more than expensive target-date funds.  Little wonder that a plurality of the advisor respondents to NAPA’s 2023 Summit Insider (for the second... READ MORE
While sympathizing with the participant-plaintiffs in the case, a federal judge finds no obligation to use “reasonable” life expectancy and interest rates in a pension calculation conversion. Plaintiffs Thomas Reichert, Stuart Buck, and Kenneth Henrich (on behalf of themselves and others similarly... READ MORE
It’s proverbial that with age comes wisdom. Recent research doesn’t vouch for that, but does suggest that at the very least, confidence in a financially secure retirement is more likely among generations that have been around longer. Confidence Goes Boom “Over the past several years, there has... READ MORE
After having managed to fend off some, but not all, claims in an excessive fee suit, plan fiduciaries have struck a deal with the participant-plaintiffs that had challenged the plan’s use of Prudential’s GoalMaker offering. The suit began in October 2021 when plaintiffs Jeffrey Parker, Donald B.... READ MORE
Following a decade of litigation, defined contribution (DC) plan sponsors continue to rank governance and process—a broad category that includes much of the “basic blocking and tackling” that plan sponsors do on an ongoing basis—as one of the top areas of focus, a newly released survey reveals... READ MORE
Professional services firm Aon announced April 25 that it has completed its acquisition of NFP, expanding the firm’s presence in the large and fast-growing middle-market segment. The deal comprises funds affiliated with NFP's main capital sponsor, private-equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP... READ MORE
Well, here we are again at the end of yet another workweek … and yet, just look at what has happened to these guys and gals… In Newberry County, South Carolina, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office has apparently been getting a lot of noise complaints… so much that some people have even flagged... READ MORE
Alera Group is on a tear. In late March, the Illinois-based independent insurance and financial services firm launched a small market retirement plan solution with Vestwell and Franklin Templeton for employers with fewer than 100 employees—the goal is to bring "large-plan services [to]... READ MORE
High-profile retirement plan industry personalities Bonnie Treichel and Matthew Eickman are teaming up to tackle, among other things, retirement income. Eickman will transition from his role as National Retirement Practice Leader at Qualified Plan Advisors, parent company Prime Capital Investment... READ MORE
The right mix for retirement funding doesn’t necessarily mean million-dollar portfolios, but should include advice that allows “chunky spending,” addresses employment outlook, avoids unpleasant retirement surprises, and analyzes living arrangements, a new report suggests.   In fact, it looks as if... READ MORE
Do you have an existing nonqualified plan focus? Are you looking to grow into this rapidly expanding arena? If so, you won’t want to miss the 2024 NAPA Nonqualified Plan Consultant (NQPC) Conference, Sept. 15-17 in Chicago, Illinois. Taking place at the Loews Chicago O’Hare, the conference will... READ MORE
After plunging to levels not seen since the so-called Great Recession, a new survey picked up on a burst of optimism in retirement confidence. And the picture of retirement FROM retirement looks pretty good. In fact, two-thirds (68%) of the workers and three-fourths (74%) of retirees surveyed were... READ MORE
The Department of Labor (DOL) released the Retirement Security Rule, informally known as the fiduciary rule, to great fanfare on Tuesday—including a press conference and White House ceremony. Now that it’s released, what changes does the final rule make to the proposed rule? Here are eight... READ MORE
Betterment has entered into an agreement with Goldman Sachs to acquire the digital investment accounts of the investment bank's Marcus Invest, as announced on Monday. Betterment will integrate Marcus Invest's accounts into its operations. The company currently manages over $45 billion in assets and... READ MORE
Nationwide is accelerating the adoption of next-generation automatic plan features by allowing plan sponsors to automatically default participants into an in-plan protected retirement solution, according to an April 24 announcement by the firm.   While many employers are familiar with setting a... READ MORE
It’s said that if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again—but if you’re suing in federal court, you had better make your case. The suit in question this time—which was last decided in favor of the fiduciary defendants almost exactly a year ago—had alleged that the Georgetown University 403(b)... READ MORE
ERISA consultants at the Retirement Learning Center (RLC) Resource Desk regularly receive calls from financial advisors on a broad array of technical topics related to IRAs, qualified retirement plans and other types of retirement savings and income plans, including nonqualified plans, stock... READ MORE
On Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its final Retirement Security Rule—also called the Fiduciary Rule—that it said will “protect the millions of workers who are saving for retirement diligently and rely on advice from trusted professionals on how to invest their savings... READ MORE
The new year has brought with it two new genres of Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) litigation, including the first-ever case of an employee alleging a fiduciary breach by the employer’s health care plan practices.  That said, cases involving prudent selection and monitoring of... READ MORE

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