PLANSPONSOR.com

Company Stock Holdings Decreased Since PPA

Tara — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:20:10 GMT

Company Stock Holdings Decreased Since PPA February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The share of plan assets in company stock fell seven percentage points for KSOPs, because of the diversification provisions in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA2006). Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com A

DoL Sues Company for Failure to Remit Contributions

Rebecca — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:45:25 GMT

DoL Sues Company for Failure to Remit Contributions February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) filed a lawsuit against Towson Rehabilitation Center LLC and CEO Howard Neels for failing to remit employees’ contributions to the company’s 401(k) plan. Tara Cantore editors@pl

Workers Globally Expect to Work Past Retirement Age

Rebecca — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:40:12 GMT

Workers Globally Expect to Work Past Retirement Age February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Over half of Canadian employees expect to keep working beyond their official retirement age. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com According to Randstad’s latest Global Workmonitor, 52% of Canadian workers a

Bill Would Offer University of Wis System Employees DC Plan

Rebecca — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:28:44 GMT

Bill Would Offer University of Wis. System Employees DC Plan February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – If passed, a proposal would allow University of Wisconsin System employees the choice to opt into a retirement plan outside the current Wisconsin Retirement System. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com

Most Employers not Ready for Health Care Reform Disclosures

Tara — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:14:37 GMT

Most Employers not Ready for Health Care Reform Disclosures February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - HighRoads finds less than half of employers are ready to distribute health care reform Summary of Benefits & Coverage materials. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com According to the annual

Arizona Judge Rules Pension Contribution Law Unconstitutional

Rebecca — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:47:05 GMT

Arizona Judge Rules Pension Contribution Law Unconstitutional February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – An Arizona judge ruled a state law that increased the amount state employees needed to contribute toward their pensions is unconstitutional. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com According to the

Study Finds Decreasing Numbers of Provider Changes

Rebecca — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:29:38 GMT

Study Finds Decreasing Numbers of Provider Changes February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Retirement plan sponsors who conduct marketplace reviews with finals presentations are 55% more likely to remain with their current provider today than they were as recently as four years ago. PLANSPONSOR staff edito

Okla Firefighters Pension Fund Sues over Student Loan Corp Losses

Rebecca — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:09:18 GMT

Okla. Firefighters Pension Fund Sues over Student Loan Corp. Losses February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Oklahoma Firefighters Pension & Retirement System sued Citigroup, Discover Financial Services and Student Loan Corp. over claims that Student Loan Corp. misled investors about increased losses beg

Foundations and Endowments See Negative Performance in 2011

Rebecca — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:14:36 GMT

Foundations and Endowments See Negative Performance in 2011 February 6, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The majority of institutional asset owners closed 2011 in positive territory, according to the Wilshire Trust Universe Comparison Service (Wilshire TUCS). Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com

Plan Sponsors Must be Aware of Changes In 408b2 Final Rule

Rebecca — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:09:14 GMT

Plan Sponsors Must be Aware of Changes In 408(b)(2) Final Rule February 6, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Now that the Department of Labor’s (DoL) regulation for 408(b)(2) has been finalized, it is important for plan sponsors to understand how the final rule impacts them. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.c

DXP Enterprises to Pay 120K to Fired Employee

Rebecca — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:31:04 GMT

DXP Enterprises to Pay $120K to Fired Employee February 6, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – DXP Enterprises, Inc. agreed to settle a disability and age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for $120,000. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The

Former Ontario Teachers Plan VP Joins Open Access

Rebecca — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:20:41 GMT

Former Ontario Teachers’ Plan VP Joins Open Access February 6, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Open Access Limited has appointed Zev Frishman as senior vice president of investment management. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com With 18 years at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, where he was vice

New Yorkers Facing Retirement Crisis

Tara — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:31:31 GMT

New Yorkers Facing Retirement Crisis February 6, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A growing number of New Yorker City residents don’t have enough money to retire, according to a new study. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com A report “Are New Yorkers Ready For Retirement?”—part of a research initi

Plan Sponsors Say Few Employees Will Be Prepared for Retirement

Tara — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:24:48 GMT

Plan Sponsors Say Few Employees Will Be Prepared for Retirement February 6, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Eighty-four percent of polled executives responsible for 401(k) plans say only some or very few employees will be financially prepared for retirement. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com A

Court Finds Decision to Spin Off Unrelated to Benefits

Tara — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:08:21 GMT

Court Finds Decision to Spin Off is Unrelated to Benefits February 6, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – A ruling that Abbot Laboratories' decision to spin off its hospital division was not motivated by pension benefits has been upheld by a federal appellate court. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com

IRA Financial Introduces Solo 401k Contribution Calculator

Rebecca — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:57:51 GMT

IRA Financial Introduces Solo 401(k) Contribution Calculator February 6, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - IRA Financial Group has launched a free, online Solo 401(k) contribution calculator. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The online Solo 401(k) contribution calculator is a tool that will allow

Keeping Teacher Pay Low Is Biblical

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:06:24 GMT

Keeping Teacher Pay Low Is Biblical? February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – An Alabama state senator has claimed that increasing teacher pay will attract people who aren’t “called to teach.” Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Senator Shadrack McGill said at a prayer breakfast in Fort Payne:

Change in Governmental Plan Definition to Affect Charter Schools

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:46:37 GMT

Change in Governmental Plan Definition to Affect Charter Schools February 7, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools estimates more than 90,000 charter school employees will be impacted by the Internal Revenue Service’s proposal to change the definition of governmental plan.

Industry Players Mostly Pleased with Final Rule on 408b2

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:16:50 GMT

Industry Players Mostly Pleased with Final Rule on 408(b)(2) February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Members of the retirement plan community were mostly positive about the final rule on 408(b)(2) fee disclosure regulations. Corie Russell editors@plansponsor.com The U.S. Department of Labor’s (

NH Court Says Increasing State Employee Pension Contributions Illegal

Tara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:37:46 GMT

N.H. Court Says Increasing State Employee Pension Contributions Illegal February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A Merrimack County (New Hampshire) Superior Court judge decided it is illegal to ask longtime state employees to contribute more from their paychecks for their pensions. Rebecca Moore editors@plan

Calif Governor Submits 12Point Pension Reform Plan

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:40:01 GMT

Calif. Governor Submits 12-Point Pension Reform Plan February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – California Governor Jerry Brown sent the language for his 12-point pension reform plan to the Legislature’s Conference Committee on Public Employee Pensions. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com Acco

Sick Time Payouts Costing Chicago Teachers Retirement System

Tara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:28:25 GMT

Sick Time Payouts Costing Chicago Teachers’ Retirement System February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Chicago Public Schools system spends tens of millions of dollars annually to departing employees for unused time off. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Since 2006, the district paid a t

CalSTRS Further Lowers Investment Return Assumption

Tara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:33:51 GMT

CalSTRS Further Lowers Investment Return Assumption February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The governing board of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) adopted a new set of actuarial assumptions, including lowering the investment return assumption from 7.75% to 7.5%. Rebecca Moore edit

Majority of Employees Find Benefit Counseling Valuable

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:06:13 GMT

Majority of Employees Find Benefit Counseling Valuable February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Ninety-six percent of workers who take part in individual benefits counseling sessions say they better understand their benefits as a result. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com According to the surv

Lowes Sued over Cancelling Health Plan Participants Coverage

Tara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:03:12 GMT

Lowe’s Sued over Cancelling Health Plan Participants’ Coverage February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – A lawsuit was filed on behalf of all participants in Lowe’s Companies’ Group Medical Plan who had their health coverage terminated and were denied medical benefits by Lowe's for part or all of the 2011 calendar y

Segal Advisors Acquires Rogerscasey

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:50:26 GMT

Segal Advisors Acquires Rogerscasey February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Segal Advisors acquired the business of Rogerscasey. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The combined entity has more than 325 clients with worldwide advisory assets approaching $400 billion. With more than 120 staf

IRS Issues Interim Report about 401k Compliance Questionnaire

Tara — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:54:06 GMT

IRS Issues Interim Report about 401(k) Compliance Questionnaire February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) interim report of responses from its 401(k) Compliance Check Questionnaire offers a view of the 401(k) plan design landscape. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com

PSolve Acquires Cassidy Retirement Group

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:08:30 GMT

P-Solve Acquires Cassidy Retirement Group February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - P-Solve has completed the merger of its U.S. subsidiary with Cassidy Retirement Group (CRG). Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The acquisition forms a new business in the P-Solve Group—P-Solve Cassidy. P-Solve wi

White Paper Examines Benefits of a 408b2 Audit

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:05:50 GMT

White Paper Examines Benefits of a 408(b)(2) Audit February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Roland|Criss published its third in a series of white papers addressing the new 408(b)(2) regulation’s specific impact on retirement plan sponsors. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The white paper, tit

EPIC Advisors Selects Platform to Provide 408b2 Compliance

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:09:52 GMT

EPIC Advisors Selects Platform to Provide 408(b)(2) Compliance February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Castle Rock Innovations (CRI) announced that EPIC Advisors, Inc. (EPIC) chose CRI’s AXIS Retirement platform to provide compliance with the Department of Labor’s 408(b)(2) fee disclosure requirements. T

PBGC Director Explains Retirement Security Challenges

Rebecca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:32:09 GMT

PBGC Director Explains Retirement Security Challenges February 3, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Josh Gotbaum, director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), told a House subcommittee Thursday that the combination of living longer, the economy, and changes in pension plans is threatening many people's re

SandP 1500 Pension Deficits Lower in January

Tara — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:38:59 GMT

S&P 1500 Pension Deficits Lower in January February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The aggregate deficit in pension plans sponsored by S&P 1500 companies was $431 billion at January 31, 2012, a decrease of $53 billion from year-end 2011. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com This defici

Hispanics Feel Least Prepared for Retirement

Tara — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:09:23 GMT

Hispanics Feel Least Prepared for Retirement February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Fifty-four percent of Hispanics report they feel “not very” or “not at all” prepared for retirement. Corie Russell editors@plansponsor.com A study commissioned by the ING Retirement Research Institute, calle

American Workers Have a Pricey Coffee Habit

Rebecca — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:49 GMT

American Workers Have a Pricey Coffee Habit February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - American workers spend a lot of money on daily expenses like coffee and lunch, according to a Workonomix survey by Accounting Principals. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com The survey found that 50% of the A

ERIC Asks Congress to Fix Pension Funding Rules

Tara — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:16:49 GMT

ERIC Asks Congress to Fix Pension Funding Rules February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) called on Congress to enact permanent reforms to the pension funding rules enacted under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA). Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Gr

Buck Hires Health and Productivity Practice Leader

Tara — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:13:21 GMT

Buck Hires Health and Productivity Practice Leader February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Scott Anderson joined Buck Consultants as a principal in the Health and Productivity practice, and will serve as the firm’s St. Louis practice leader. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Anderson will l

IRS Issues Guidance About Annuities in Retirement Plans

Tara — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:58:05 GMT

IRS Issues Guidance About Annuities in Retirement Plans February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Internal Revenue Service issued two pieces of guidance to clarify how certain rules apply when a retirement plan offers an annuity to participants. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com Revenue

Treasury Proposals Pave Way for Offering Lifetime Income Options

Rebecca — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:43:25 GMT

U.S. Treasury Proposal to Reduce Regulatory Burdens for Retirees February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The U.S. Treasury Department announced a proposal to reduce regulatory burdens and make it easier for retirees to choose to receive their benefits as a stream of income in regular payments for as long as th

Report Finds CalSTRS Could be Fully Funded by 2064

Tara — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:11:04 GMT

Report Finds CalSTRS Could be Fully Funded by 2064 February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) may be fully funded 52 years from now, a recent report shows. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com According to news reports, CalSTRS only had

Los Angeles Files Lawsuit Against Northern Trust for Pension Loss

Rebecca — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:40:59 GMT

Los Angeles Files Lawsuit Against Northern Trust for Pension Loss February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against North Trust, alleging the company squandered city pension assets by placing them in high-risk financial products.

DoL Issues Final Rule on 401k Fee Disclosure

Tara — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:08:19 GMT

DoL Issues Final Rule on 401(k) Fee Disclosure February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DoL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued a final rule on 401(k) fee disclosure Thursday. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com The DoL also announced a thr

Lincoln Financial Provides Predictions on Retirement Industry

Tara — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:04:16 GMT

Lincoln Financial Provides Predictions on Retirement Industry February 2, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Fee disclosure regulations, in-plan guarantees, target-date strategies and retirement planning optimism will significantly impact the retirement plans industry in 2012, predicts Chuck Cornelio, president of Linc

American Airlines Proposes Termination of Pensions

Tara — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:42:16 GMT

American Airlines Proposes Termination of Pensions February 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – “We simply do not see a way we can secure the company’s future without terminating our defined benefit plans,” American Airlines said on a website set up to provide information on its restructuring in bankruptcy. Rebecca

BofA Merrill Lynch 2011 Retirement Savings Actions on Par with 2010

Rebecca — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:41:28 GMT

BofA Merrill Lynch 2011 Retirement Savings Actions on Par with 2010 February 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Nearly 1.5 million participants within Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s proprietary 401(k) business are actively contributing to their 401(k) plans. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com O

US Bank Acquires Trust and Custody Business of Union Bank

Rebecca — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:36:06 GMT

U.S. Bank Acquires Trust and Custody Business of Union Bank February 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – U.S. Bank National Association entered into a definitive agreement with Union Bank, N.A. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com U.S. Bank will purchase the institutional trust business providing

IRS Provides Guidance on HSAs for Users of Indian Health Service

Tara — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:31:26 GMT

IRS Provides Guidance on HSAs for Users of Indian Health Service February 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Internal Revenue Service issued guidance about whether individuals who are eligible for services at an Indian Health Services (IHS) facility are also eligible individuals for purposes of contributing to a h

Institutional Plan Sponsors Post Fourth Quarter Gains

Rebecca — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:32:13 GMT

Institutional Plan Sponsors Post Fourth Quarter Gains February 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Northern Trust announced that U.S. institutional investment plan sponsors in the Northern Trust Universe gained 4.5% at the median in the fourth quarter of 2011. Katherine Blackler editors@plansponsor.com

Two Thirds of Workers Unaware of Paycheck Increase in 2011

Rebecca — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:16:08 GMT

Two-Thirds of Workers Unaware of Paycheck Increase in 2011 February 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – A poll found 66% of working Americans were unaware that their paychecks were larger last year due to the Social Security payroll tax cut. Tara Cantore editors@plansponsor.com However, the poll

Principal Releases Employee Benefits Best Practices Guide

Tara — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:40:39 GMT

Principal Releases Employee Benefits Best Practices Guide February 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Principal released a free guide based on the best practices of The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security—2011. Rebecca Moore editors@plansponsor.com "Making it Personal" s

403b Transparency Taskforce Launches Model Disclosure Form

Rebecca — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:26:50 GMT

403(b) Transparency Taskforce Launches Model Disclosure Form February 1, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The 403(b) Transparency Taskforce launched the 403(b) Model Disclosure Form—transparency standards for disclosure of fees and services in the public school 403(b) marketplace. Tara Cantore editors@plans

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