Administration

There’s a disconnect in how employers think employees want to enroll in benefits and how employees actually want to enroll.

“Taking into account the aging brain to help people make the right decisions at the right time is important,” says Fred Axsater with SSGA.

Mercer reports the funded status of S&P 1500 DB plans increased 1% in July, while Wilshire says the funded status for S&P 500 plans gained 0.8%.

Aside from provider consolidation, Rocaton Investment Advisors suggests steps 403(b) plan sponsors can take to improve participant outcomes.

Happy with its adviser, Dot Foods only completed the RFP process for due diligence, but what it discovered led it to hire a new adviser.

Adding an annuity option to the plan is similar to adding any new investment to the plan, said Geoff Dietrich of Dietrich & Associates.

“Coaching includes offering communication, education and the opportunity for advice to help employees take an active role in retirement planning,” says Cathy McCabe with TIAA.

Plan sponsors can educate Baby Boomers nearing retirement about what risks they face and provide them with helpful planning opportunities.

The firm introduced the benefit after its own survey found Gen X and Millennial workers delay saving for retirement because of student loan debt.

Mercer finds a 3% decline for S&P 1500 companies and Wilshire finds a 1.8% decline for S&P 500 companies for June, and LGIMA finds a 3% quarterly decline...

A report notes that DC plans for public-sector employees are no longer just supplemental due to changes in state DB plans.

PPG has entered into agreements with MetLife and MassMutual to cover pension obligations to retirees.

Two retirement industry experts discussed how to respond to outspoken retirement plan participants.

The average funding is 87%, just slightly down from 88% last year.

State and local government employers are paying a larger share of required contributions, an analysis finds.

The pension plan de-risking conversation plays out on a spectrum and often takes years—if not decades—to run from start to finish.

Two industry leaders take the big-picture view of employer-sponsored benefit programs, participant trends, and what will likely stay or change in the short and long term.

Leaders at Morningstar, BlackRock and John Hancock discussed retirement industry trends and challenges.

Participant education and communication must be part of a plan sponsor’s culture to get participants engaged with the retirement plan.

The decrease in funding was due in part to relatively flat equity markets, according to both Mercer and Wilshire.