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Concerns about student debt and its impact on the finances and retirement savings of workers has spurred interest in student loan repayment programs.
For the past couple of years, there have been growing calls to make it easier to save for retirement while simultaneously paying off student loans....
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At #ASPPA18, discuss topics on relevant and timely hot-button industry issues in six general sessions and 87 workshops. Network with your colleagues, connect with exhibitors and earn CE credits for the 2017–2018 CE cycle!
Retirement policy has received a tremendous amount of attention since last...
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FASB has announced changes to the disclosure requirements for pension and other (OPEB) plans. Several items were removed; several were added. These changes are generally effective for 2021 (2022 for nonpublic entities), although earlier adoption is permitted. There are no changes in the methodology...
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On Sept. 22-24, 2018, the President, President-elect and Executive Director of ACOPA will attend a meeting of the North American Actuarial Council (NAAC). NAAC consists of the Presidents and Presidents-elect of the five U.S. actuarial organizations, the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) and the...
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The price of recordkeeping services is not uniform; it can vary depending on type of retirement plan. A blog entry discusses why pricing for 401(k0S is different from that for 403(b)s.
In “The Differences Between 403(b) and 401(k) Pricing,” Michael Webb of Cammack Retirement offers some...
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Much is happening in Washington that will soon affect retirement plan sponsors and the professionals who advise them. These late-breaking developments will be covered in depth at the Cincinnati Regional Conference scheduled for Nov. 12-13.On Aug. 31, 2018, President Trump signed an Executive Order...
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Several years back, I was talking with a colleague about the current state of the U.S. economy – and as a comparison point, I pointed to the mid-1980s.“I wasn’t even born then,” she said. At which point I realized that what I considered to be a relevant point of comparison was, to my coworker,...
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Whenever I read another article about how hard it is to measure the return on investment (ROI) of financial wellness programs, I think back to my days as a psychology grad student. A large part of psychology and its history is focused on figuring out how to measure the intangible. The field of...
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Multiple employer plans (MEPs) are very much a part of the recent discussion. But while President Trump’s Aug. 31 executive order gives a boost to MEPs, that doesn’t mean they’re an innovation of 2018. A recent white paper from Pentegra takes a look at their history, where they stand now, and what...
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Over the coming weeks, a question that you’re likely to see posed (again and again) about the President’s Executive Order is – “will it work?”“Work” in this case means to expand access to workplace retirement plans, for that is the stated policy of the Trump administration in issuing the order.The...
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Throughout the summer the PBGC has been implementing some very helpful practices to easing pension plan practitioners’ jobs when dealing with PBGC-covered DB plans. This has come in the form of:
Practitioner FAQ Update
Standard Plan Termination Submission Process Update
PBGC/ACOPA Joint Web...
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You may have taken a summer vacation, but the average 401(k) balance kept right on working!
According to estimates from the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) based on the actual contribution records and investment choices of several million consistent participants in the EBRI/...
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The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has modified the Comprehensive Premium Filing Instructions for 2018 Plan Years. The PBGC made the announcement on Sept. 4.
The PBGC made the modifications on pages 2 and 35 of the instructions. On page 2, the PBGC updated payment address information; on...
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President Trump’s Executive Order has three specific directives – and some specific timetables for action on those directives.
The Executive Order begins by stating, “It shall be the policy of the Federal Government to expand access to workplace retirement plans for American workers.”
The much-...
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Americans continued to save for retirement through their DC plans, with most maintaining their assets allocations even as stock values edged down during the early part of the year.
In the first quarter of 2018, 5.1% of DC plan participants changed the asset allocation of their account balances,...
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Single premium pension buy-outs remained strong in the second quarter of 2018, says a recent report, marking more than four years in which sales exceeded $1 billion in each quarter.The LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute reports that in the second quarter of 2018, pension buy-outs were greater than $...
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The retirement industry is all abuzz about President Trump’s appearance in Charlotte Aug. 31 – and about what might be the subject of that executive order “strengthening retirement security in America.”
While it’s just speculation at this point, published reports have focused on the prospect of...
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President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on retirement security at a public appearance in Charlotte, NC on Friday, Aug. 31.The White House announced the appearance Aug. 28. Published reports note that at around 2:00 p.m., President Trump is scheduled to go to Central Piedmont Community...
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It is not unusual to delegate or even outsource functions investment committees commonly perform. But taking that step doesn’t mean washing the hands of all involvement with governance. A recent blog post makes suggestions regarding what can be done to continue to monitor and exercise active...
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Most people view automatic enrollment in a 401(k) as a good thing1 – but apparently it has a heretofore unappreciated “dark” side.At least that was the focus of a headline in a recent Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) that asked (and answered) the provocative question: “401(k) or...
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