Benefits

Cash balance plans grew by 1,025% over two decades, according to an Ascensus report.

Liabilities dropped, buoying muted equity returns—a new story for 2026.

A new PensionBee white paper claims some IRA providers make money in ‘hidden ways.’

Global retirement experts suggest investment options, advice and artificial intelligence can all help with drawing down defined contribution savings.

The move saved participants a collective $450,000 in investment expenses.

As ‘Peak 65’ continues and a record number of Americans enter retirement, plan sponsors are discovering that keeping retirees’ money in-plan is easier said than done.

Questions of portability and flexibility for both plan sponsors and participants can impede adding guaranteed retirement income offerings.

Experts says plan sponsors should be transparent and should address healthcare costs head-on.

Transamerica and Advo(k)ate Advisors team up to offer a new pooled employer plan.

Studies find short-term savings can be a gateway—not an impediment—to long-term savings.

The number of borrowers in default grew by about 4.2 million following the end of a COVID-19-era payment moratorium.

The longer Congress waits, the more likely it is that fiscal and debt crises will unfold, according to a paper from George Mason University’s Mercatus Center.

However, declining asset returns and interest rates could affect defined benefit plans over a longer time horizon, Milliman warned.

A Cerulli report found that 71% of recordkeepers call the pooled employer plans a major or moderate business priority.

As hardships arise, employers rethink whether retirement plans should focus solely on preserving nest eggs—or also help workers weather today’s storm.

Philadelphia voters approved a city-run program, but the Alaska State Legislature failed to override the governor’s veto of its version.

According to a Georgetown report, plan sponsors should evaluate pooled employer plans’ fees, providers’ potential conflicts of interest and the challenges of exiting the plan.

Employers are trying to help their employees, with tools and guidance, to avoid making hardship withdrawals or taking loans from their retirement plans to cover immediate needs.

To maximize offerings for their employees, experts recommend that companies use both in-plan options and their HR departments.

Key components include emergency savings, retirement readiness programs and financial planning.