Retirement Income

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

Like many, perhaps most, families—mine never really talked about money or finance. Doubtless that was in no small part because neither of those were in abundance in our household. But mostly, I suspect, it was because that was just one of “those” topics that were deemed by my parents’ generation... READ MORE

Legislation that would create Alaska Work and Save, a state-run program that would provide retirement plan coverage to private-sector employees in Alaska whose employers do not, is still under consideration.  The bill that would create Alaska Work and Save, SB 135, is not new. Sen. Bill... READ MORE

While not quite the bump received from last year’s record inflation, the health savings account (HSA) limits will still receive an increase for 2025, as determined under Section 223 of the Internal Revenue Code.  The new limits were announced May 9 by the IRS in Revenue Procedure 2024-25. The IRS... 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 has called on the DOL... READ MORE

Mid-spring was mild for private-sector pension plans, according to several analyses that generally report modest improvements in their fortunes in April.  This marks a continuation of a trend that has held sway all year. Corporate defined benefit plans had a mild winter, and showed some... READ MORE

It’s been said that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. But what if it’s a figment of your imagination? “Crisis” is a word much bandied about these days, most particularly as a label applied to retirement—by foes and fans alike. Indeed, while not so long ago headlines posed that premise as a... READ MORE

Disasters can create a sudden need for resources to address the situation at hand.  But some resources are more readily accessible than others—resorting to certain kinds of funds can itself create some hardship.  To help avoid that circumstance and risk having a response to an emergency itself... READ MORE

The climate is warming. No, not that one—the climate for annuities. Interest in them among retirement investors is rising, according to recent reports.  This actually is not a new trend, says LIMRA. They report that interest in annuities stood at 33% of those whom they surveyed in 2018 but “jumped... READ MORE