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Ted Godbout

Amid ongoing market volatility, it’s little wonder that plan participants are keeping a close eye on their retirement account balances, and they increasingly are doing so via mobile apps.  As a result, mobile apps have taken center stage as critical tool for retirement investors, according to J.D... READ MORE
Benefits play a major role in the employee experience, as most can attest on a personal and professional level, but new research suggests that it’s simply not enough to make benefits available to employees. Instead, employers must go out of their way to educate employees about their benefit... READ MORE
The findings in a new survey suggest retirement plan professionals need to optimize Social Security benefits with clients, as large percentages of respondents across generations do not have a firm grasp of how the program works. Nearly half (49%) of U.S. adults aged 18 or older believe that they... READ MORE
The findings in a new survey suggest retirement plan professionals need to optimize Social Security benefits with clients, as large percentages of respondents across generations do not have a firm grasp of how the program works. Nearly half (49%) of U.S. adults aged 18 or older believe that they... READ MORE
The two top Republican lawmakers serving on the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over ERISA have called on the Department of Labor (DOL) to halt any further changes to the definition of fiduciary.  The Aug. 31 letter from Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who is chair of the House Education... READ MORE
If it wasn’t already a known commodity to industry stakeholders and workers saving for retirement, a new study finds that the 401(k) is becoming a non-negotiable benefit for job seekers.    When considering a new employer, nearly 9 in 10 workers (88%) say a 401(k) is a “must-have” benefit and... READ MORE
Born from 1997 to 2012, Generation Zers have often been called the most ethnically diverse generation who have grown up entirely with modern technology. But as they begin to enter the workforce, what impact will they have on the retirement industry and what expectations do they bring to the table... READ MORE
The findings of a recent survey reveal a growing disparity between U.S. employers and their employees on the subject of financial health and well-being.  While both employers’ and employees’ top economic concerns include rising costs and macroeconomic challenges, employers feel more satisfied with... READ MORE
With a labor shortage that’s expected to last through 2026 intertwined with a growing gig economy, employers may need to rethink their strategies and focus on creating a work environment that values employees and offers competitive benefits, a panel of industry experts suggests.  That was one of... READ MORE
After having been paused at the start of the COVID pandemic, federal student loan repayments are set to resume later this year, forcing many to consider cutting back on spending and saving for retirement.   That apparently is the reality now faced by nearly 44 million federal student loan... READ MORE
The differences between low-income and high-income older workers’ retirement accounts were greater in 2019 than in 2007, according to a new analysis by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).  Known as Congress’ investigative arm, GAO’s analysis of Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) data on... READ MORE
To better support retirement savers, Vanguard and the Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) announced that they are expanding their relationship to include services to individual retirement account (IRA) holders.  According to the announcement, the expanded collaboration by the two firms will help... READ MORE
Building off the SECURE 2.0 Act and taking a page out of the “behavioral finance playbook,” two influential senators introduced bipartisan legislation to establish an automatic reenrollment safe harbor.  SECURE 2.0 soon will require new 401(k) and 403(b) plans to automatically enroll participants... READ MORE
A markup by the House Financial Services Committee that started with numerous delaying tactics and accusations from each party that the other wasn’t acting in good faith ended more than 12 hours later with the approval of several bills—mostly along partisan lines.   “Today, this Committee is... READ MORE
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Ali Khawar on July 25 shared with delegates at the 2023 NAPA D.C. Fly-In Forum the key priorities of the department, including new guidance on SECURE 2.0, an update to the fiduciary rule, and... READ MORE
New regulatory guidance that would permit bankruptcy trustees to use the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Abandoned Plan Program has been submitted to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The new guidance, which was submitted to the agency on July 19, apparently will be... READ MORE
Unpaid caregivers serve a vital function in taking care of a family member or close relative, but new research published by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) finds that it can take a toll on retirement preparedness.   Based on findings from the 33rd annual Retirement Confidence Survey... READ MORE
New research by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) looks at the challenges that families face—particularly the impact on their retirement plans—when saving for both their retirement and a family member’s college education.  Serving as the research arm of the SOA, the SOA Research Institute conducted a... READ MORE
As Generation X becomes the country’s next generation on deck to retire, a new report finds that many of those born between 1965 and 1980 are woefully unprepared for retirement.   When looking at median retirement savings levels for Gen X, the bottom half of earners has only a few thousand dollars... READ MORE
In asking whether a lack of asset diversification in DC retirement plans has been a potential missed opportunity, the findings of a new study suggest the answer is yes.  More specifically, the Georgetown Center for Retirement Initiatives (CRI), in conjunction with CEM Benchmarking, set out to... READ MORE

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