Happy Friday, readers! Spend even a little time working in the retirement plan services industry and one will see that complexity is an inherent characteristic of the marketplace. This is particularly true when it comes to solving the “decumulation challenge.” Simply put, helping plan participants turn a lump sum of cash savings into a sustainable retirement income stream is hard. Participants want the safety of a guarantee, but they fear the lack of liquidity associated with annuitization. Fortunately, new products and strategies are emerging that may help participants access the income protection they want while also providing a greater degree of flexibility.
According to Cerulli research, the various parties involved in the implementation of an in-plan retirement income solution are often not on the same page about basic terminology and definitions.
Read more >
According to Willis Towers Watson, just over 80% of organizations acknowledge the importance of their older workers and managing the retirement process; however, only about half believe they understand the process well, and just one-quarter feel they have found an effective approach.
Read more >
Nearly all of those who work with an adviser feel they have prepared themselves well for estimating their monthly income needs in retirement, Voya Financial learned in a survey.
Read more >
As retirees drawing Social Security income look forward to a modest increase in benefits scheduled for 2019, AARP has published a list of common Social Security misconceptions.
Read more >
Morningstar suggests individuals and their advisers should focus on strategies that can maximize retirement savings, regardless of planned retirement age.
Read more >
CFB Board sees decumulation as a likely driver of digital advice innovation, especially as an aging population creates a need for more efficient and effective services.
Read more >
The plan being challenged in the latest fiduciary breach lawsuit held less than $300 million as of the start of last year, making it one of the smallest to become the target of an ERISA complaint.
Advisers and broker/dealers hoping to work with open multiple employer plans now have a short window to offer their perspectives to the Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service.
The main theme of the new fiduciary rule proposal is alignment with other regulators—the SEC and FINRA in particular—but the agency is by no means surrendering its jurisdiction over tax-qualified retirement plans.
