Defined Contribution Plans

A recent report on 401(k) services, fees and expenses looks closely at usage of mutual funds in 401(k) investments. It says that participants invest primarily in equity mutual funds, and that most such assets are held in lower-cost mutual funds with lower-than-average portfolio turnover.The... READ MORE

Concerns about retirement and health care loom large for American workers and the U.S. Senate is reportedly close to its version of a health care reform bill. We need your help ASAP to tell Congress to make it easier for workers to manage their health and retirement savings.What’s the Issue?The tax... READ MORE

‘Autos’ are proliferating on the retirement superhighway, recent studies report. Auto-enrollment, auto-escalation, auto-investment — all are growing in number of users and in their influence.Automatic EnrollmentIn “How America Saves, 2017,” a Vanguard study based on 2016 DC plan data, the firm... READ MORE

In less than a month, the new “transition” exemptions will apply to recommendations for IRAs. Fred Reish looks at how to prepare for that shift.In a recent blog post, Reish explains that if an adviser and its supervisory entity are “pure” level fee fiduciaries, there will not be a prohibited... READ MORE

Defined contribution plan assets under management (AUM) reached $5.95 trillion in 2016, says a recent survey of money managers.The survey, conducted by Pensions & Investments (registration required) said that the AUM was 8.6% higher than in 2015. It also said that the DC plan assets the... READ MORE

There are lots of reasons why people get behind in their retirement savings — and one very helpful way that older workers can make up for lost time and catch up.Individuals who are age 50 or over at the end of the calendar year can make annual catch-up contributions — up to $6,000 in 2017 in a 401(... READ MORE

I made the switch to Roth for my retirement savings years ago — and I have long counseled younger workers, who were likely paying the lowest tax rates of their working lives, to do so as well.Pre-tax treatment has, of course, been the norm in 401(k) plans since their introduction in the early 1980s... READ MORE

In a White House blog entry posted late on April 26, National Economic Council Director and chief economic advisor to President Trump Gary Cohn reiterated his earlier comments that retirement savings will be protected as tax reform proceeds.In the entry, “President Trump Proposed a Massive Tax Cut... READ MORE

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal cautions: “Grab Your Pitchforks, Your 401(k) May Need Defending From Congress.”The article (subscription required) covers ground we have heard for months now — that “The lucky participants in one of the best retirement plans around are coming after yours... READ MORE