The Wells Fargo/Gallup Investor and Retirement Optimism Index remains at a 17-year high, despite a clear uptick in volatility, with the index at +139 in the first quarter; the firm’s head of retirement dissects the findings for PLANADVISER readers.
A new analysis out from Empower Retirement finds historical investment performance does not serve as an optimal overall measure of value delivered by a managed account; there is strong evidence to suggest “engaged participants” extract more value from managed accounts.
Health savings accounts are often described as the 401(k) of health care—so it is only natural that retirement specialist advisers can play an important role in educating the public about these important savings vehicles; survey data shows more education and advice is desperately needed.
The firm says it does not have additional information to share at this juncture beyond what has been noted in a 2017 year-end SEC filing; in that newly emerged document, Wells Fargo Advisors says it has begun an internal investigation into “whether there have been inappropriate referrals or recommendations” made by its advisors, including with respect to rollovers for 401(k) plan participants.
The annual report from BlackRock offers quite a deep dive into the large 401(k) plan population; highlighting many well-known retirement industry trends, but also a few that are less well-observed.
Anne Ackerley, head of BlackRock’s defined contribution business, sat down last week with PLANADVISER to offer a sneak peek at the DCIO provider’s latest DC Pulse Survey; the data shows increased confidence among plan participants, while sponsors have emerging decumulation concerns.
According to data from CEM Benchmarking, defined benefit pensions have outperformed defined contribution plans by less than half a percentage point over the last decade—described as a “huge improvement” for DC plan sponsors.
Military members using an adviser report contributing nearly double the amount to their retirement accounts on average compared with those lacking regular financial guidance.
The new financial wellness program is designed to inspire, educate and encourage employees to make lasting financial behavior changes.
Josh Robbins, lead strategy officer for the direct-to-sponsor plan provider America’s Best 401K, offers a closer look at the virtues and potential weaknesses of the firm’s “disruptor” model and short sales cycle.
The interactive technology enables retirement advisers to demonstrate to plan sponsors how modifications in plan design can impact their employees’ retirement readiness, and the shifting cost of providing the plan for the employer.
With the Affordable Care Act and other pieces of major legislation that altered financial norms a guide, one expert asks whether a mandate to require employers to provide auto-enrollment retirement plans is a good idea against the backdrop of stubborn American individualism.
Plan sponsors are being more conscious and cautious with respect to managing the implications of the DOL fiduciary rule—and this is impacting plan leakage and rollover decisions to a strong degree, Callan says.
A new Spectrem study reveals that almost a third of Millennial investors want their financial adviser to “reward them with gifts or other favors” in exchange for their business.
Paying down debt and needing cash for day-to-day expenses are top reasons for decreasing plan contributions this year.
One change in the law means that in many cases, a participant will have more time in which to effect a tax-free rollover of a plan loan offset amount that occurs following termination from employment.
Alongside numerous proposed changes, employees who work for three consecutive years with at least 500 hours of service each year would have to be made eligible to participate in an employer’s plan, but would be excluded from top-heavy and nondiscrimination testing.