Reader Responses May 12, 2014

SURVEY SAYS: Which TV Mom Do You Have?

May 12, 2014 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Last week, I asked NewsDash readers which TV mom is/was their mom like, and why.

Reported by

From the list provided, none of the responding readers chose Peggy Bundy from “Married… with Children,” Lois Griffin from “Family Guy,” Mary Cooper, Sheldon’s mom from “The Big Bang Theory,” Lorelai Gilmore from “The Gilmore Girls,” or Gloria Delgado-Pritchett from “Modern Family.” Nearly 17% said no TV mom is/was like their mom.

However, 13.9% each chose Claire Huxtable from “The Cosby Show” and Marie Barone from “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Eleven percent said their mom is/was like June Cleaver from “Leave It to Beaver.” The other TV moms on the list—Sophia Petrillo from “The Golden Girls,” Roseanne from “Roseanne,” Marge Simpson from “The Simpsons,” Beverly Hofstadter, Leonard’s mom from “The Big Bang Theory,” and Claire Dunphy from “Modern Family”—were each selected by 2.8% of respondents.

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The biggest percentage of responding readers chose “other,” with the most-cited TV moms being Edith Bunker from “All in the Family” and Ann Romano from “One Day at a Time.” “Other” responses also included: Hyacinth Bucket from “Keeping Up Appearances,” Samantha Stephens from “Betwitched,” Jeannie’s mother from “I Dream of Jeannie,” and Lois from “Malcolm in the Middle.”

When asked to share the personality traits that made them select the TV mom they chose, readers shared:

Divorced women raising her children as best she could.

Mom, like Edith, was always kind of ditzy, but she loved her family immensely, was kind to everyone, and stood up when she thought something wasn't right.

I chose Marie Barone because my mom has never learned how to let her adult children be adults.

Hyacinth maintains her modest suburban British home as if it were Buckingham Palace itself. Order, tidy, and proper are the greatest concerns for Hyacinth while her husband, Richard, is relaxed about everything and frequently responds with "yes, dear." Hyacinth likes to spend her days visiting stately homes (convinced she will meet and strike up a friendship with the owners, especially if they are nobility) and hosting "executive-style" candlelight suppers (with her Royal Worcester double-glazed Avignon china and Royal Doulton china with "the hand-painted periwinkles"). She ostentatiously brags about her possessions to others, including her "white slimline telephone with automatic redial," which she always answers with "The Bouquet residence, the lady of the house speaking."

always interferes with the best of attentions but sometime a little too much

Clean house, home cooked meals, and active in the community.

Since my father is a mirror-image of Archie Bunker, my mom has to be Edith. She caters to my dad's every whim and doesn't have much of a life of her own.

My mom was the best! She put her heart out there and took care of foster babies and my dad until her dying breath.

My mom does not fit into any of those moms. When I was a child wished for a mom who would be like Sam-- Able to fix things so that her family would be happy.

Claire Huxtable seems to fit, as my mom is a professional with a great career, but still was able to raise 4 kids while pursuing her PhD. Great role model.

My mom was a high powered executive and president of the subsidiary of the large company she worked for. I don't know any TV moms that come close to that!

My mom passed away this past September and at her memorial the one word I used to described her was "FUN"

Edginess

My mother is 87 and tries to pretend time has not passed since 1940. Although she doesn't dress like June Cleaver, she still wonders why all mothers don't act like her.

In verbatim responses, readers chose to share stories or more traits of their mothers. Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said: “God blessed me with the best mom ever. Really no comparison.”

Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey!

Verbatim

Divorced, untrusting of men, married again because she felt she needed to be, always looking for a better social position...

My husband and I joke that my mom thinks she is on "The Truman Show" - All of her FB posts, e-mail and even in-person conversations are mini advertisements of every product! She can't say she stopped at the store, she has to say "I stopped at ABC Store for XYZ product" - or "Today I was sewing with my XYZ Model 123 machine." And she is completely serious - she thinks people truly care about the specific make, model, brand, etc that she uses.

While my mother is much more loving than Hyacinth Bucket (prononunced Bouquet), some of Hyacinth's fastidious, social climbing qualities remind me of home.

God blessed me with the best mom ever. Really no comparison.

My mom is like no other - she is one of a kind, a very special kind.

TV moms are one dimensional. My mom was multi-dimensional and multi-faceted. I would not be able to pick one TV mom due to this.

The one gift my mom gave me is the ability to use the right profanity at the right time: sends a message, without being tabbed as a potty mouth.

You left Edith Bunker off your list!

The other person that reminds me of my mom is Betty White who is 92, they were the same age.

I wish my mother were like Claire Huxtable! Smart and independent!

NOTE: Responses reflect the opinions of individual readers and not necessarily the stance of Asset International or its affiliates.

Benefits May 9, 2014

What Plan Sponsors Need to Learn

May 9, 2014 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Retirement plan sponsors can always learn more about how to run and improve their plans.

Reported by

Kevin McGuinness

Gerald Wernette, principal and director of Retirement Plan Consulting, Rehmann Financial, tells PLANSPONSOR, “Plan sponsors usually feel they have a good general overview about how their plan works, especially when it comes to their skill set for handling day-to-day operations. But what they want and need to know is what’s going on out there that could impact the plan and participants. This can range from new and pending legislation to what service providers, other than theirs, are offering.”

Wernette, who is based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, says plan sponsors may also want to learn more about not only evaluating investment options and plan fees, but also about how to benchmark their plan. They want to know if what they are paying is giving both the plan and its participants what is needed.

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When it comes to evaluating investment options, a lot of providers offer benchmarking tools, but Wernette adds, “What plan sponsors really need to look at is that second layer, the one just below the surface. Examining this layer can help them to determine if the fund they’re evaluating is appropriate for their plan participants, as well as how factors such as risk, interest rates and inflation could affect them.” He says when doing this kind of evaluation, it is always more helpful to have not only historical data but information that looks forward as well.

In terms of what best practices plan sponsors should use in administering their plans, Wernette says, “They may want to do a deeper dive into target-date funds, which are becoming very popular as investment options, but plan sponsors may not fully understand their nuances. Plan sponsors need to determine what target-dates funds work best for their participants and understand that what works for one plan may not necessarily be applicable to another.”

Wernette adds that plan sponsors need to gauge participants’ level of retirement readiness and retirement income replacement. If participants' efforts are below what they should be, they need to be aware of it.

Plan sponsors should also improve their fiduciary training, says Wernette. “While we don’t expect every plan sponsor to be an expert in fiduciary matters, there is an expectation that they should have a basic level of knowledge, so they can not only choose service providers and specialists, but be able to hold them accountable. Plan sponsors need to be able to scrutinize providers, as well as funds and fees,” he says.

“Plan design also comes into play, looking at features like loans, distributions and matching contributions, as well as automatic enrollment and automatic escalation. The plan sponsor needs to find out what features are going to work best for their plan and participants,” Wernette adds.

Plan advisers and providers may be an educational resource for plan sponsors, according to Wernette. “Plan advisers, along with recordkeepers, can help plan sponsors to determine what steps to take and what providers to look at.”

He adds, “There is a lot of material out there for plan sponsors, ranging from defined contribution investment only (DCIO) wholesalers to The Plan Sponsor University program. The challenge for plan sponsors is how to process all that information to make a choice on a provider. And also to be careful of educational forums that are really disguised sales presentations.” The Plan Sponsor University is an online and in-person workplace retirement plan certification program for business owners, benefits specialists or other employer fiduciaries for which Wernette lectures.

Education programs for plan sponsors should focus on the education itself and helpful processes for their plan, rather than focusing on a particular software platform, says Wernette. He contends that having a university classroom-type setting, featuring interaction and a sharing of ideas among attendees, is a far more effective approach.