Happy Friday, PLANSPONSOR readers! In addition to readers’ most popular stories for the week, in this edition of PLANSPONSOR Weekend we will focus on plan design and administration. This includes tips for reducing participant retirement plan loans, as well as research about how plan sponsors are increasing participant engagement and about the benefits of using longevity annuities in defined contribution (DC) plans. In addition, a report cites reasons plan sponsors change recordkeepers and/or investment managers, and experts suggest retirement savings solutions for part-time employees. Have a great weekend!
Educating retirement plan participants about the consequences of taking loans from their account balance, as well as a few plan design changes, can limit the amount of loans taken, IFEBP says.Read more >
“Participant engagement growth has also been driven in part by employers making education more accessible with onsite meetings, webcasts and personal consultations,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch says.Read more >
Researchers first found that introducing a longevity income annuity into the DC plan investment menu is attractive to the majority of plan participants.Read more >
The desire to reduce fees is the top reason DC plan sponsors cite for contemplating changes in investment managers and recordkeepers, a study finds.Read more >
As the nation moves more to a “gig” economy, the question becomes: How can we prepare part-time employees for a financially secure retirement?Read more >
Plan sponsors will be required to provide much more data, as well as certifications about plan administration and governance, and limited-scope audits will no longer be so limited.
The agency says the proposal seeks to emphasize that climate change and other ESG factors can be financially material and that considering these elements can lead to better long-term risk-adjusted returns.
Earlier this year, the firm settled similar charges from the SEC and the New York attorney general accusing it of making inaccurate and misleading statements to rollover clients.
