John Iekel

Offering participants too many options can discourage enrollment. But what’s the “sweet spot” in terms of the optimal number of enrollment options? A test by Fidelity found that 78 percent of participants preferred a three-part enrollment option — and that those who chose that option contributed... READ MORE

More than 50 million employees in the United States participate in a 401(k) plan, and recent research shows strong employee interest in contributing part of one’s salary to achieve a comfortable retirement. Employers have a variety of features they can incorporate in the plans they offer, and they... READ MORE

Municipal bankruptcies like Detroit’s bring into sharp relief the effect such financial strains can have on pensions, as well as the effect of what local and state governments do. But there is good news — most states have taken steps to protect public-sector pensions. In fact, according to... READ MORE

Is your pension plan fully funded? The answer is relevant to more than individual participants’ accounts, as Bob Collie posits in the Fiduciary Matters Blog. A plan’s funding level also affects how a plan’s assets are allocated and invested, as well as pension de-risking. Pension plans that are not... READ MORE

 Research released by EBRI March 18 shows that a sizable portion of the population has saved very little. That’s sobering by itself, but a closer look reveals more regarding what that means for retirement plan participants and sponsors.EBRI’s 2014 Retirement Confidence Survey included a finding... READ MORE

 What do DB benefit plans, DC plans and 403(b) annuity arrangements have in common? Yes, there’s the obvious. But also, they all are retirement plans that must file the dreaded and onerous Form 5500. And for most of them, the clock has begun to tick on filing the form that reports on 2013.... READ MORE

On the Department of Labor’s radar screen: requiring DC plan administrators to adjust the benefit statements they distribute to provide lifetime income illustrations based on current and projected account balances. So a recent study by the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute is particularly well-... READ MORE

 In remarks at a recent conference on income inequality, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the incoming Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, may have tipped his hand on how he will treat employer-provided retirement plans, advocating the simplification and consolidation of “the array” of current... READ MORE

 The words have barely faded from the teleprompter, but retirement experts have wasted no time in expressing caution regarding the “myRA” retirement accounts President Obama unveiled in his State of the Union Address. Chris Carosa of Fiduciary News provides a comprehensive list of 10 reasons to... READ MORE