PLANSPONSOR.com

GreatWest Adds Midwest Sales Director to 401k Team

Kristen — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:24:46 GMT

Great-West Adds Midwest Sales Director to 401(k) Team May 16, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Great-West Retirement Services has appointed Matthew Orozco as a regional sales director for the Midwest market . Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Orozco will work with brokers, financial advis

Workers Changing Expectations of Retirement

Rebecca — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:25:08 GMT

Workers Change Expectations of Retirement May 16, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - American workers realize they are behind in saving for retirement, and are adjusting their expectations accordingly. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Sixty-nine percent of workers agreed they could save until age

Plan Administrator Steals Retirement Funds to Purchase Resort

Rebecca — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:20:20 GMT

Plan Administrator Steals Retirement Funds to Purchase Resort May 16, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a complaint in a federal court in Idaho regarding a violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Th

Institutional Investors Find New Uses for ETFs

Kristen — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:45:48 GMT

Institutional Investors Find New Uses for ETFs May 16, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Institutional investors are finding increasingly strategic uses for exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to a study from Greenwich Associates. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Institutions start using ETF

GAO Suggests DOL Work on Getting Older Americans Employed

Rebecca — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:09:01 GMT

GAO Suggests DOL Works on Getting Older Americans Employed May 16, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends that, as the economy improves, the Department of Labor (DOL) refocus on older job seekers. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The number o

CPI Appoints Senior Manager for Internal Sales Department

Tara — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:07:00 GMT

CPI Appoints Senior Manager for Internal Sales Department May 15, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc., appointed Peter Wesner as the senior manager for the internal sales department. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Wesner has been with CPI’s sales and marke

Language Critical in Reaching Older Americans

Rebecca — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:34:44 GMT

Language Critical in Reaching Older Americans May 15, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Language is critical in reaching the “senior citizen” demographic to explain investment products, according to the research firm Hearts & Wallets. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Aging investors recogn

Principal Launches Resource to Evaluate Retirement Plan Fees

Rebecca — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:36:48 GMT

Principal Launches Resource to Evaluate Retirement Plan Fees May 15, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Principal Financial Group created an online resource to help plan sponsors understand the new retirement plan disclosure regulations. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Assessing Retirement

Workers Need Better Sources for Retirement Planning Information

Tara — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:00:53 GMT

Workers Need Better Sources for Retirement Planning Information May 16, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A study indicates American workers need more concrete sources of information to aid them in planning for retirement. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Despite workers’ demonstrated commitment

Cohen and Steers DC Plans Need Real Assets

Tara — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:16:36 GMT

Cohen & Steers: DC Plans Need Real Assets May 15, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Cohen & Steers released a white paper that discusses the merits of including real assets—commodities, real estate and natural resources—in a DC portfolio. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com According to th

LPL Unveils Rollover Program

Rebecca — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:38:37 GMT

LPL Unveils Rollover Program May 15, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - LPL Financial on launched the Rollover Results Program, a platform for retirement plan advisers, plan sponsors and plan participants. PLANSPONSOR staff editors@plansponsor.com The Rollover Results Program introduces the Ret

DOL Restores Nearly 1pt3 Million Dollars to Pension Plan

Rebecca — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:40:39 GMT

DOL Restores Nearly $1.3 Million to Pension Plan May 15, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The U.S. Department of Labor reached an agreement with a California fruit and nut company to restore a total of $1,287,901 to the company’s pension plan. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com In a consent jud

Fiduciary Evaluation Tool Launched

Rebecca — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:35:48 GMT

Fiduciary Evaluation Tool Launched May 14, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Board Institute, Inc. released The Fiduciary Board Index. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The Index allows boards of directors to both assess the strengths of their investment policies and highlight areas for impro

MassMutual Enhances DB Plan Termination Services

Tara — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:16:34 GMT

MassMutual Enhances DB Plan Termination Services May 14, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - MassMutual's Retirement Services Division enhanced its defined benefit (DB) plan termination services offering to existing clients. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com MassMutual's enhanced DB plan terminatio

11th Circuit Affirms Home Depots Stock Drop Case Win

Tara — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:01:19 GMT

11th Circuit Affirms Home Depot’s Stock Drop Case Win May 14, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – A federal appellate court affirmed that Home Depot did not err in continuing to offer company stock in its retirement plan. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said

DebtFree Part of Definition of Successful Retirement

Tara — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:46:07 GMT

“Debt-Free” Part of Definition of Successful Retirement May 14, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Nearly nine in 10 Canadian homeowners (87%) indicate that "being debt-free" is very important to their definition of a successful retirement. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com According to a recent d

Mercer Launches Retirement Planning and Education Campaign

Rebecca — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:14:56 GMT

Mercer Launches Retirement Planning and Education Campaign May 14, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Mercer launched “My Retirement Workshop ,” an online retirement planning and education campaign for employees whose 401(k) plans it administers. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The website provide

Guaranteed Income Option Most Appealing to Younger Workers

Kristen — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:41:05 GMT

Guaranteed Income Option Most Appealing to Younger Workers May 14, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Many American workers find it appealing to have a guaranteed income in retirement, the younger the employee, the greater the attraction. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The Hartford’s Guaranteed

Northern Trust Appoints Senior Investment Consultant

Rebecca — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:26:12 GMT

Northern Trust Appoints Senior Investment Consultant May 14, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Northern Trust appointed Christopher A. Benson in its Denver office as a senior investment consultant. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Before relocating to Denver earlier this year, Benson served as a

Boilermakers Pension Under Investigation

Tara — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:35:10 GMT

Boilermakers Pension Under Investigation May 14, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – A grand jury is investigating complaints against the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers’ pension and benefits plans. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Federal agencies received anonymous complaints about mis

FPG Offers Fee Disclosure Compliance Solution

Rebecca — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:52:29 GMT

FPG Offers Fee Disclosure Compliance Solution May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Fidcuiary Plan Governance, LLC (FPG) announced a solution to help plan sponsors with the burden and risk of new fee disclosure requirements. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com According to the company, FeeSourc

Some Workers Have Weak Excuses for Quitting

Tara — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:33:25 GMT

Some Workers Have Weak Excuses for Quitting May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – You would think with the weak economy, workers would be doing all they can to hang on to their jobs. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com However, a new survey shows some workers must not be too worried about the j

Trucking Company Accused of Forcing Out Older Workers

Tara — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:39:56 GMT

Trucking Company Accused of Forcing Out Older Workers May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Central Freight Lines Inc. agreed to pay $400,000 to settle an age discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com According

Investors Admit to Not Saving Enough for Retirement

Rebecca — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:51:09 GMT

Investors Admit to Not Saving Enough for Retirement May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – One in 10 Americans say retirement is not an attainable goal. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com According to a survey from Edward Jones, 32% of Americans identify hard financial issues, such as the need t

Report Calls for 10pct to 16pct DC Plan Contributions

Rebecca — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:49:55 GMT

Report Calls for 10% to 16% DC Plan Contributions May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Target income replacement ratios should be higher than the 70-75% conventionally accepted as a rule of thumb, the Retirement Advisor Council contends. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com In a Position Paper,

Fidelity Names Leader of Stock Plan Services

Rebecca — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:24:55 GMT

Fidelity Names Leader of Stock Plan Services May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Kevin Barry was named executive vice president of Fidelity Investments’ stock plan services business. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Barry will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the stock pla

Investor Education Program Increased Workplace Plan Participation

Tara — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:25:43 GMT

Investor Education Program Increased Workplace Plan Participation May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A workplace investor education program field tested in three states increased employee participation in workplace savings and investing programs, its creators claim. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com

PSCA President to Retire

Rebecca — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:53:44 GMT

PSCA President to Retire May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - David L. Wray, president of the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), will retire effective September 30, 2012. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com “After more than 25 years of service to PSCA members and the participants in the ret

PBGC Takes New York Law Firm Pensions

Tara — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:04:33 GMT

PBGC Takes New York Law Firm Pensions May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) will take responsibility for pension plans sponsored by Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, a law firm based in New York City. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The agency is stepp

Fee Disclosure Guidance Provides 403bs Comfort

Rebecca — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:30:02 GMT

Fee Disclosure Guidance Provides 403(b)s Comfort May 11, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) – Recent fee disclosure guidance addresses some unanswered questions for 403(b) plans. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Annuity options are more prevalent in 403(b)s and many plans offer multiple servic

Fidelity Launches Its First Global Equity Income Funds

Rebecca — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:13:52 GMT

Fidelity Launches Its First Global Equity Income Funds May 10, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Fidelity Investments launched its first global equity income funds. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The funds include the Fidelity Global Equity Income and Fidelity Advisor Global Equity Income Fu

Sustainable Investing Interest Growing Among Plan Sponsors

Rebecca — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:18:11 GMT

Sustainable Investing Interest Growing Among Plan Sponsors May 10, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Sustainable investing has become of more interest to investors and plan sponsors. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com During a PLANSPONSOR webcast, John Hale, portfolio construction adviser of the

Mothers Are Household CFOs Except When it Comes to Retirement

Rebecca — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:21:16 GMT

Mothers Are Household CFOs Except When it Comes to Retirement A majority of women act as chief financial officers of their households, making most of the financial decisions or sharing responsibility. PLANSPONSOR staff editors@plansponsor.com But men are still likelier than women to hold

Positive Q1 Returns for US Master Trust Universe

Tara — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:22:24 GMT

Positive Q1 Returns for U.S. Master Trust Universe May 10, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The median return of the BNY Mellon U.S. Master Trust Universe was 7.12% for the first quarter of 2012. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com This marked the second consecutive quarter of positive returns

Working Moms Taking Less Maternity Leave

Tara — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:59:29 GMT

Working Moms Taking Less Maternity Leave May 10, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The struggle to balance career and family starts in the earliest stages of parenthood, according to CareerBuilder’s annual study of working moms. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com One in four (26%) working moms w

US Equity Funds See Net Outflows For Second Month

Tara — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:57:20 GMT

U.S. Equity Funds See Net Outflows For Second Month May 10, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Investors put only $26.5 billion in net inflows into stock and bond mutual funds in the U.S. in April 2012. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com This marked a decline from March, when investors put net

Penn Liberty Adds to Advisory Team

Tara — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:51:52 GMT

Penn Liberty Adds to Advisory Team May 10, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Penn Liberty Wealth Advisors, a division of Penn Liberty Bank in Wayne, Pennsylvania, expanded its team with three hires. PLANSPONSOR staff editors@plansponsor.com Joining the division are Shawn T. Higginbotham, Deborah D

Arnerich Hires Van Dyke as Investment Adviser

Tara — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:13 GMT

Arnerich Hires Van Dyke as Investment Adviser May 10, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Arnerich Massena Inc. hired Chris Van Dyke as investment adviser. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Van Dyke will service public, private and nonprofit organizations for the firm’s institutional client group

Retirees Provide Insight for Retirement Planning Success

Rebecca — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:42:16 GMT

Retirees Provide Insight for Retirement Planning Success May 10, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Plan participants and retirement professionals can learn from the experiences of current retirees. Corie Russell editors@plansponsor.com More than 90% of participants polled in BlackRock’s fourth annual

Az Public Workers to Get Back Pension Contributions

Rebecca — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:49:04 GMT

Az. Public Workers to Get Back Pension Contributions May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed off on legislation to reverse a law increasing state workers’ contributions to their pension. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The new legislation (HB2264) returns

Neuberger Berman Introduces Long Short Fund

Tara — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:08:46 GMT

Neuberger Berman Introduces Long Short Fund May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Neuberger Berman introduced the Neuberger Berman Long Short Fund (tickers: NLSAX, NLSCX, NLSIX). Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The fund provides investors with a long-short investment strategy that seeks long

MassMutual Retirement Adds National Practice Leader to Sales Team

Tara — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:26:55 GMT

MassMutual Retirement Adds National Practice Leader to Sales Team May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Doug DeNigris was named MassMutual Retirement Services Division’s national practice leader for the Taft-Hartley market segment. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com In this newly created

Canadians Feel Responsible for Retirement Security

Tara — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:29:50 GMT

Canadians Feel Responsible for Retirement Security May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - When it comes to ensuring their financial security in retirement, Canadians overall believe that they are primarily responsible (59%). Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Canadians also cited the government

Segal Hires Consulting Actuary

Rebecca — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:13:59 GMT

Segal Hires VP and Consulting Actuary May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Robert Kurak joined The Segal Company as a vice president and consulting actuary. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Kurak has more than 30 years experience in the employee benefits field. For more than 25 years, he

Former Detroit Officials Solicited Gifts from Investment Manager

Rebecca — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:23:54 GMT

Former Detroit Officials Solicited Gifts from Investment Manager May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged former top Detroit officials in an influence peddling scheme. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Former Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, fo

Nearly Half of Americans Not Saving for Retirement

Rebecca — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:18:45 GMT

Nearly Half of Americans Not Saving For Retirement May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Forty-nine percent of Americans say they are not contributing to a retirement plan, according to a survey from LIMRA. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Americans ages 18 to 34 were more likely (56%) to

EBSA Hosts Fiduciary Seminars in Boston and NYC

Tara — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:08:23 GMT

EBSA Hosts Fiduciary Seminars in Boston and NYC May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) scheduled two “Getting it Right: Know Your Fiduciary Responsibilities” seminars. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The event will be

Employers Control Health Care Costs with Wellness Initiatives

Tara — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Employers Control Health Care Costs with Wellness Initiatives May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Seven in 10 American employers offer wellness initiatives, according to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ survey "Wellness Programs and Value-Based Health Care." Rebecca Moore editors@plans

Pension Proposal in Ohio Would Increase Employee Contributions

Tara — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:10:20 GMT

Pension Proposal in Ohio Would Increase Employee Contributions May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A sweeping overhaul of public employee pensions in Ohio was proposed this week. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The bills, one for each public retirement system, would require state workers t

Ala Legislature Passes Pension Reform

Rebecca — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:01:02 GMT

Ala. Legislature Passes Pension Reform May 9, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Alabama Legislature passed a bill to reform the pension system for new state employees who are hired after January 1, 2013. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The pension reform measure will save the state $5 billio

IMHO Thanks Giving 2011

Nevin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:28:33 GMT

IMHO: Thanks Giving Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com October 31, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A few backs we announced that, after a dozen years here at PLANSPONSOR , effective November 1, I am joining the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) in Washington, D.C., as Director, Educat

IMHO Lessened Learned

Nevin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:42:09 GMT

IMHO: Lessened, Learned? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com October 26, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - When I’m talking to plan sponsors (and advisers) about the challenges of being an ERISA fiduciary, I’m generally inclined to emphasize the awesome responsibilities that come with the “assignmen

IMHO Catching Your Drift

Nevin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:12:11 GMT

IMHO: Catching Your Drift Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com October 19, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - I recently found myself driving in an unfamiliar city without the aid of a GPS (global positioning system). Sadly, I had become so accustomed to having that de

IMHO The IKEA Experience

Nevin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:15:25 GMT

IMHO: The IKEA “Experience” Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com October 12, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - We spent some time this past weekend getting my eldest daughter squared away in her new apartment. It’s her first, and as with nearly all first apartments, there is a lot

IMHO Nigh Five

Nevin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:34:08 GMT

IMHO: “Nigh” Five Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com October 5, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A few weeks back, I offered some notions about what the next five years will bring in terms of industry trends. However, in preparing for our recent PLANADVISER National Conference, I ca

IMHO Better Business

Nevin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:41:09 GMT

IMHO Working Outs

Nevin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:11:12 GMT

IMHO: Working “Outs”? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com September 20, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Last week the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on “promoting retirement security.” While options were presented to improve things (see “ Industry Groups Urge

IMHO Pay Back

Nevin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:34:42 GMT

IMHO Best for Success

Nevin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 14:25:12 GMT

IMHO: Best for Success Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com September 6, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Today PLANSPONSOR opens nominations for our Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year awards. Each year we receive a number of inquiries from advisers and plan sponsor

IMHO Hurricane Forces

Nevin — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 04:49:41 GMT

IMHO Checking Accounts

Nevin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:59:42 GMT

IMHO: “Checking” Accounts Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com August 25, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - I finally got to the dentist last week. Don’t get me wrong, I like my dentist. The folks there are more than nice, they treat you like an adult (even when you clearly haven’

IMHO Decision Points

Nevin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:06:29 GMT

IMHO Fifth Avenues

Nevin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:19:56 GMT

IMHO: Fifth "Avenues" Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com August 9, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - T he year we began publishing PLANADVISER - 2006 - was a big year in many ways for me. That year marked my twentieth wedding anniversary, it was the year my father passed away, the ye

IMHO Free Ride

Nevin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:52:20 GMT

IMHO Savings Bonds

Nevin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:58:23 GMT

IMHO: Savings “Bonds” Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com July 27, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - In my experience, there are three major reasons that people save for retirement. There’s the lure of the “free money” represented by the employer match, the benefit in deferring the pay

IMHO Much Ado

Nevin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:41:21 GMT

IMHO: “Much” Ado Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com July 19, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - There were three big disclosure announcements last week. The first two were the pushback of the effective date for 408(b)(2) fee disclosures to April 1, 2012 from the previously announced e

IMHO Starting Points

Nevin — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 06:12:05 GMT

IMHO: “Starting” Points Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com July 11, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - You may have missed it, but there was a bit of a “dust up” in our industry last week. It started on July 7 when The Wall Street Journal ran a front-page story titled “401(k) Law S

10 (more) Things You're (Probably) Doing Wrong

Mary — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:34:03 GMT

10 (more) Things You're (Probably) Doing Wrong 3882 Rebecca Moore Senior Editor PLANSPONSOR Stace A. Hilbrant Managing Director 401k Advisors LLC Fred Reish Chair, Financial Services ERISA Practice Drinker, Biddle & Reath

Is my plan design effective? Are participant behaviors effectively improving their retirement security?

Mary — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:23:55 GMT

Is my plan design effective? Are participant behaviors effectively improving their retirement security? Traditional plan design and participant metrics are no longer enough to adequately benchmark the health of a retirement plan. Join Joe Ready, Director of Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement, for an in

Committeed Relationships

Mary — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:54:24 GMT

Committeed Relationships How to start, staff, and steer a successful plan investment committee. 3186 Alison Cooke Mintzer Executive Editor PLANADVISER Attila T. Toth Principal Portfolio Evaluations, Inc. Doug Halman Director of Finance

Picking the Best Provider

Mary — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 06:33:47 GMT

Picking the Best Provider It is tempting, but unfair, to generalize about the process of choosing a retirement plan provider. Every plan is different, every plan sponsor unique, and—let’s face it—every plan provider has its own special qualities and characteristics as well. So, how should you get started

Small Plans, Big Challenges

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:47:58 GMT

Small Plans, Big Challenges A special session focused on the unique issues/challenges faced by smaller (less than $10 million in assets) programs. 3521 Nicole Bliman Senior Editor PLANADVISER Don Jones Founder & CEO Fiduciary Doctors LLC Michel

Alpha Bets

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:41:25 GMT

Alpha "Bets" For years, defined benefit plan sponsors and their advisers have acknowledged the wisdom of managing plan assets with an eye on the payment stream they needed to support. Still, for many, it has never really seemed to be a “good” time to make a shift away from a focus on alpha. Is this the ti

Fixing 403(b) Plan Mistakes

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:33:09 GMT

Fixing 403(b) Plan Mistakes Avoiding, preparing for, and surviving an IRS audit, including highlights of the most common 403(b) missteps. 3015 Rebecca Moore Senior Editor PLANSPONSOR Michael J. DiCenso National Practice Leader - Gallagher Retirement Services

Creating Better Savers

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:29:44 GMT

Creating Better Savers Practical ways to engage and involve the unengaged participant. 3743 Nicole Bliman Senior Editor PLANADVISER Erica Stebe Assistant VP, Client Communication Consulting MassMutual Retirement Services Janet L. Ganong Re

Target-Date Funds: The To Versus Through Debate

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:24:30 GMT

Target-Date Funds: The "To" Versus "Through" Debate More than one-third of all plan sponsors respondents to PLANSPONSOR’s 2010 DC survey admitted they were not familiar with the “to” or “through” glide path issue – and yet that determination is a key assumption underpinning the design of most asset alloca

Five Things You Need To Know About...Retirement Income

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:19:24 GMT

Five Things You Need To Know About...Retirement Income 3440 Nevin Adams Editor-in-Chief PLANSPONSOR and PLANADVISER Mark N. Fortier Head—Product & Partner Strategy AllianceBernstein Defined Contribution Investments Steve Smith VP, Sale

Ask the 403(b) Experts

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:13:19 GMT

Ask the 403(b) Experts A live panel discussion with our 403(b)lines “Ask the Experts” experts. 3623 Rebecca Moore Senior Editor PLANSPONSOR Michael A. Webb Vice President, Retirement Practice Cammack LaRhette Consulting David Powell Pri

Setting the Right Benchmarks for Your Plan

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:07:45 GMT

Setting the Right Benchmarks for Your Plan Effective methods for determining and benchmarking retirement readiness of your employee population. 3506 Alison Cooke Mintzer Executive Editor PLANADVISER Mary K. Hollingsworth Director - Client Communications, Produc

Five Things You Need To Know About...NQDC (nonqualified deferred compensation)

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:02:24 GMT

Five Things You Need To Know About...NQDC (nonqualified deferred compensation) 3442 Charlie Ruffel Director and Founder Asset International Randall C. Long Founder and Managing Principal SageView Advisory Group Rob Kieckhefer First Vice P

Five Things You Need To Know About...QDIAs

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:47:00 GMT

Five Things You Need To Know About...QDIAs 3342 Rebecca Moore Senior Editor PLANSPONSOR Philip J. Callahan Managing Director, National Sales Manager, Retirement Services Group Goldman Sachs Bradford P. Campbell of counsel Schiff Hardin

Building a Better Retirement Plan Menu

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:34:08 GMT

Building a Better Retirement Plan Menu You’ve worked hard to build a solid menu of investment choices that can be woven together into a diversified portfolio. What is the best way to stay on top of things? What are the best practices for review, notice, and removal of options that don’t keep up?

Five Things You Need To Know About...Being a Fiduciary

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:17:52 GMT

Five Things You Need To Know About...Being a Fiduciary 3642 James E. Graham Partner/Retirement Plan Consultant CapTrust Advisors Gisele M. Sutherland Vice President & Assoc. General Counsel M&I Institutional Trust Services Timothy Walsh

Is Your Plan Ready for a Retirement Income Option?

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:10:04 GMT

Is Your Plan Ready for a Retirement Income Option? Working through your in-plan retirement income options: what’s new, what’s not, what works, and what’s “hot”. 3168 Nevin Adams Editor-in-Chief PLANSPONSOR and PLANADVISER Srinivas Reddy Senior Vice President, I

Misbehavioral Finance

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:02:10 GMT

Misbehavioral Finance Why plan sponsors fail. Research in the past several years has illuminated how behavioral economics affects participants, but employers understand a lot less about how it impacts employers themselves. 3330 Nevin Adams Editor-in-Chief PLANSPONSOR and PLANADVIS

Glide Paths

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:52:08 GMT

Glide Paths Target-date funds are not created equal. Is that a problem? In this session, we’ll get inside the “to” versus “through” retirement-date debate, outline the impact of various glide-path assumptions, and help you find the best solution for your program. 3605 John Keefe Con

Best Practices for 403(b) Plans

Mary — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 10:11:48 GMT

Best Practices for 403(b) Plans Insights that can help you better manage and administer your 403(b) program. 3347 Rebecca Moore Senior Editor PLANSPONSOR Laurie Clemens Director of Human Resources Heritage Valley Health Systems Jim Phillips

IMHO Graduation Exhortations

Nevin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:58:31 GMT

IMHO: Graduate “Exhortations” Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@plansponsor.com June 28, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - This past week, my son graduated from high school. It was a big deal for our family, as any graduation would be. However, this was in some ways a particularly special night, si

IMHO Chances Are

Nevin — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:05:31 GMT

IMHO: Chances Are… Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com June 22, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - I’ve long adhered to the wisdom of having a “Plan B,” a fallback position if the things you hope will work out—don’t. Now, sometimes those fallbacks aren’t completely well-formed (

IMHO Smoke Signals

Nevin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:23:31 GMT

IMHO: “Smoke” Signals Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com June 7, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Plan sponsors spend a lot of time wondering – and worrying – about the “right” way to do things. They rely on the guidance of experts, the insights of publications like ours, the bl

IMHO Loan Arranging

Nevin — Mon, 23 May 2011 14:27:59 GMT

IMHO Out of Proportion

Nevin — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:24:11 GMT

IMHO The Enemy of the Good

Nevin — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:16:44 GMT

IMHO: The Enemy of the Good? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com May 4, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Over the past couple of years 401(k) evaluation service BrightScope has made quite a splash. Early on, most folks I spoke with were quite keen on what was being undertaken by

IMHO Expert Opinions

Nevin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:41:57 GMT

IMHO: Expert Opinions Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com April 21, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - I learned a long time ago that when it comes to things like automobile maintenance, home repair, or gardening, I’m better off hiring an expert. Now I have friends that derive gr

IMHO Mixed Messages

Nevin — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 03:38:22 GMT

IMHO: Mixed Messages Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com April 7, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - We had wrapped up a very successful half-day adviser event ahead of our annual Awards for Excellence dinner last week. As we closed up the session, a co-worker of mine commented to

IMHO Comparison Points

Nevin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:50:51 GMT

IMHO Court Costs

Nevin — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:15:11 GMT

IMHO: Court Costs Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com March 23, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Last week brought to light an aspect of 401(k) litigation that doesn’t generally get a lot of coverage—and the participant-plaintiff was presented with a $50,000 bill. Now, at some le

IMHO Conversation Starters

Nevin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:08:04 GMT

IMHO: “Conversation” Starters Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com March 16, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - There’s been a lot of talk coming from Washington of late about the need to have “an adult conversation” with the American people. That conversation ostensibly inc

IMHO Underlying Assumptions

Nevin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:18:19 GMT

IMHO: Underlying Assumptions Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com March 10, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Last week the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued two reports focused on 401(k) plans; one on target-date funds, the other on potential conflicts of interest. As

IMHO Service Charges

Nevin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:59:48 GMT

IMHO: Service Charges Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com February 15, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - As Valentine’s Day approached, you may have seen a series of increasingly ubiquitous advertisements for a certain online florist. Now, I’ve used that particular servi

IMHO: Warning Labels

Nevin — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:25:26 GMT

IMHO: Warning “Labels” Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.comd January 27, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Litigation—or more accurately, the fear of litigation—frequently serves to put us on notice. It’s why we find labels on hair dryers cautioning against bathtub use, why hemorrhoi

IMHO Group Therapy

Nevin — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:26:22 GMT

IMHO: Group “Therapy?” Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com January 20, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Somewhere over the course of your academic or professional career, I’m sure you’ve been exposed to any number of "group" exercises. One of my “favorites” deals with

IMHO Nau.ghty or Nice

Nevin — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:01:07 GMT

IMHO: Naughty or Nice? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com December 21, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A few years back—when my kids still believed in the reality of Santa Claus—we discovered an ingenious Web site. -------------------------- Editor’s Note: There’s so much

IMHO The Measure of the Plan

Nevin — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:34:05 GMT

IMHO: The Measure of the Plan Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com December 16, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Not so long ago plan sponsors gauged the success of their defined contribution offerings by a single metric; participation rate. It’s not that they didn’t pay attention

IMHO Fiscal Therapy

Nevin — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 04:35:45 GMT

IMHO: Fiscal Therapy? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com December 13, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - This week I will undergo one of those “you’re getting older” physicals. This has been scheduled for about six months now (yes, that’s how long it takes to get in for a physic

IMHO Liability Driven

Nevin — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:08:30 GMT

IMHO: Liability Driven? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com December 1, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - We recently had a couple of new members join our 401(k) investment committee. So I asked our investment adviser to conduct a briefing so that the new members – and those already

IMHO Thanks Giving 2010

Nevin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:24:12 GMT

IMHO: Thanks Giving Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com November 23, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Thanksgiving has been called a “uniquely American” holiday, and one on which, IMHO, it is fitting to reflect on all for which we have to be thankful. Here's my list for 2010 :

IMHO Sure Things

Nevin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:29:44 GMT

IMHO: “Sure” Things Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com November 16, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - In a very real sense, this has been a “rebuilding” year for many plan sponsors and participants. It has been a time spent rebuilding account balances, resurrecting and/or reviving

IMHO After Thoughts

Nevin — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 02:28:19 GMT

IMHO: “After” Thoughts Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com November 9, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The morning after last week’s mid-term elections, a plan sponsor friend of mine called me up and asked me what I thought it all meant. Still bleary-eyed from sitting up watching

IMHO Costs of Living Adjustment

Nevin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:26:07 GMT

IMHO: Costs of Living Adjustment Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com November 3, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A couple of weeks back, the Social Security Administration announced that, for the second year in a row – but only for the second time since 1975 – there would be no cost of living ad

IMHO Interests Bearing

Nevin — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:58:52 GMT

IMHO: Interests 'Bearing' Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com October 26, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Last week the Labor Department issued a proposal that would, by its reckoning, provide the first update to the definition of an ERISA fiduciary since shortly after the birth of the federal

IMHO Paper Trail

Nevin — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 06:29:37 GMT

IMHO: Paper “Trail” Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@plansponsor.com October 19, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Last week, the Department of Labor reissued its proposed regulation on participant fee disclosure. Those familiar with the last proposal (put out by the prior Administration – see

IMHO Scale Model

Nevin — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:51:06 GMT

IMHO: Scale Model Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com October 12, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - I’ve long had an issue with weight scales, for the perhaps obvious reason that, these days, they frequently deliver a message I’d just as soon not receive. See, even when I’m feelin

IMHO Listening Post

Nevin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:47:47 GMT

IMHO: Listening Post Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com September 29, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - I recently found myself turning back to my notes from the PLANSPONSOR National Conference in June. Some of these came from presentations, others originated from the

IMHO Forever More

Nevin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:36:21 GMT

IMHO: “Forever” More? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com September 22, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Last week the Treasury Department and Department of Labor held two-days of joint hearings on the subject of retirement income. Now, plan sponsors who have contempl

IMHO Looking Class 2010

Nevin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:12:47 GMT

IMHO: Looking Class Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@plansponsor.com September 7, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Today PLANSPONSOR opens nominations for our Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year awards. Each year we receive a number of inquiries from advisers about the awards, and many of thes

IMHO Double Dipping

Nevin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:10:08 GMT

IMHO: Double Dipping? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com August 25, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Last week Fidelity published some data from their quarterly analysis of participant activity. For the very most part the data (see Fidelity Finds Q2 Uptick in 401(k) Withdrawals

IMHO Mandatory Sentences

Nevin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:29:29 GMT

IMHO: “Mandatory” Sentences Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com August 19, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - We have long lamented the reality that only about half of this nation’s workers have access to some kind of workplace-based retirement vehicle, and with good reason.

IMHO Wrong Headed Part 2

Nevin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:13:31 GMT

IMHO: "Wrong" Headed?—Part 2 Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com August 11, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Last week’s column presented half of a list that I titled “10 things you’re probably STILL doing wrong as a plan fiduciary.” As I mentioned then, this is a compilation ba

IMHO Wrong Headed

Nevin — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:41:11 GMT

IMHO: "Wrong" Headed? Nevin E. Adams nevin.adams@assetinternational.com In this as, perhaps, many professional endeavors, it seems that the more you know, the more you know you don’t know. Moreover, the standards imposed on plan fiduciaries by the Employee Retirement Income Security A