It’s true that when participants fully understand their retirement plans and options such as rollovers it can help them be more prepared for retirement. However, the communication that has garnered much attention recently is about financial wellness. Our columnist Michael Barry, president of October Three (O3) Plan Advisory Services LLC, predicts the future of the retirement plan industry will be about financial wellness. Fact is, employees will have a hard time saving for retirement if they don’t have their financial house in order. But, despite employers’ efforts, a study finds employee perceptions of financial wellness have not improved. Financial wellness programs need to be more personalized, and employee engagement with these programs needs to improve. Enjoy this edition of PLANSPONSOR Weekend!
There is more to life than saving for retirement, says Michael Barry, president of October Three (O3) Plan Advisory Services LLC, and he foresees a new model where financial wellness is implemented across a rich employee dataset exploiting the efficiency of artificial intelligence.Read more >
Financial stress is on the rise in all generations, indicating that financial wellness programs are missing the mark, according to PwC. A new survey report from the firm suggests many employers have simply relabeled existing resources as “financial wellness programs.”Read more >
Companies stand to benefit in numerous ways by offering a financial wellness program, according to a new study released by Morgan Stanley and conducted by the Financial Health Network. Financial wellness programs reduce employee stress, improve retention and engagement and help a company stand out in the marketplace.Read more >
Attorneys say the requests plan fiduciaries have received ask for a broad amount of information and documentation, and they urge fiduciaries to act on the DOL’s recent guidance.
The purpose of a retirement plan and the demographics of its participants will help plan sponsors decide what types of investments they need to use to take participants from accumulation to decumulation.
