Opinions

Opinions |

A Retirement Plan Approach to Health Care

May 13, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) - After some initial groaning by 403(b) plan sponsors following passage of the 2007 regulations, many decided to move forward positively with the...
Opinions |

IMHO: Out of Proportion

May 11, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Without question the retirement plan industry has prospered from the long-standing practice of relying heavily – and in some situations,...

Opinions |

PPACA and Wellness Programs

May 10, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Following PPACA, employers are even more interested in encouraging healthy behaviors and decreasing health care costs through wellness programs. 
Opinions |

Form 5500 Reporting – A Review

May 10, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Before 2009, Form 5500 reporting for ERISA 403(b) plans was very limited.  Beginning with the 2009 plan year that reporting expanded in several...
Opinions |

Two Sides to Every Story

May 6, 2011 – (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) - Recently, I found myself at odds with myself. As a Senior Editor at PLANSPONSOR, I tend to view things from the...
Opinions |

IMHO: The Enemy of the Good?

May 4, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Over the past couple of years 401(k) evaluation service BrightScope has made quite a splash. 
Opinions |

Where’s the Alpha?

May 4, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - In funding public sector defined benefit plans, the average assumed rate of return on assets held in trust to pay benefits is 8%. ...
Opinions |

The 401(k) Myth

May 3, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Among the calls for “reform” in pension benefits for governmental employees it is fairly common to hear policy makers say, “We cannot ask...
Opinions |

Misconceptions about 403(b) Plan Compliance

April 29, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) - In the aftermath of the IRS 403(b) regulations and Department of Labor guidance, 403(b) plans look more similar to their 401(k) counterparts.
Opinions |

Our Coworkers, Our Friends

April 29, 2011 - Many of us spend more time with our coworkers than with our family and other friends, and since we do have lives outside of...
Opinions |

Hindsight is Always 20/20

April 22, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) - In 1989 I didn’t know anything about retirement plans. I was hired that fall, straight out of graduate school, as a part-time...
Opinions |

IMHO: Expert Opinions

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...