While the prospects for “comprehensive tax reform” may seem remote in this highly charged election year, the current tax preferences accorded employee benefits continue to be a focus of much discussion among policymakers and academics. Retirement plan advisors might well be inclined to gloss over... READ MORE

I’ve been hooked on the convenience of GPS systems since the first time one was included in the price of a rental car on a family trip in unfamiliar territory. There are, of course, horror stories about drivers who have blindly followed GPS instructions without paying attention to what they can see... READ MORE

A frequent criticism of the 401(k) design — and one frequently invoked by retirement plan advisors — is that it was “never designed” to provide a full retirement benefit, unlike, as it’s often stated or implied, the defined benefit plan. In fact, these days much of the talk about improving and... READ MORE

My wife is fond of recounting one of our early dates — the one when we ran out of gas. We were in the heart of a Chicago suburb at the time, not the middle of nowhere, and while the hour was late, I continue to maintain that it was a simple case of my misreading the gas gauge in a relatively new... READ MORE

IRAs have been around a long time – as long as ERISA, in fact.[1. Originally designed as a means to provide workers who did not have employment-based pensions an opportunity to save for retirement on a tax-deferred basis, IRAs have undergone a number of changes over time. The Economic Recovery Tax... READ MORE

A couple of years ago, my wife and I sat down with an advisor to revisit our financial plan. Having gathered all the requisite information regarding assets, debt, insurance and retirement savings, he turned to me and asked how long I planned to work. Being in a profession that I not only enjoy, but... READ MORE

My eating habits have always tended toward what my mother politely calls “finicky.” Oh, she tried repeatedly over the years to broaden my horizons, but without much success. My wife has similarly tried to expand and improve my dietary choices over the years, but even with the admonition of needing... READ MORE

“How do they expect to retire on that?” In the week or so since the 2014 Retirement Confidence Survey hit the streets, I think I’ve heard that question more than any other, both from advisors and reporters alike. “That” in this case is the widely cited finding of the survey that 36% of respondents... READ MORE

I’ve never been very keen on going to the dentist. As important as I believe dental hygiene to be, I’ve come to associate my visits with the dentist with bad things: some level of discomfort, perhaps even pain and a flossing lecture from the hygienist, at the very least. Most of which is readily... READ MORE