While there was some good news for the retirement industry during the annus horribilis (as Latin speakers would have it) of 2020, there were more than enough misfortunes and setbacks for most of us. Nevertheless, “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier,” according to Colin Powell….
Have you or your employees ever wondered about the most efficient ways of drawing down your retirement assets? Are you offering a plan with enough flexibility to meet the needs of your diverse employee group? With so many different puzzle pieces, it’s no wonder so…
…grow. RoboAdvisors can offer a wide range of investment choices (including actively managed and niche assets), portfolio optimization and frequent portfolio rebalancing. However, there are a number of potential downsides and caveats with respect to RoboAdvisors: Lack of Transparency: There is no industry standard regarding…
In turbulent markets, stable value investments can be an attractive choice for retirement plan participants worried about the fluctuations in the marketplace. Like any investment option, stable value funds have advantages and disadvantages. Consequently, there are circumstances where stable value funds may be a great…
…and dates of birth but also banking details — it is no surprise that cyberattacks are on the rise in our industry. It should also hardly come as news that many plan sponsors and fiduciaries have for some time regularly been targets of any number…
…in our industry. That is the GoP – which, I hasten to point out in these politically portentous times, does not refer to the Grand Old Party but to the SECURE Act’s “Group of Plans” option. We have written before about the vast potential that…
…is to make sure that the 5500 is accurate and complete. Small employers – those with less than 100 workers – are exempt from that requirement. For years, employers in the same industry have been able to form multiple employer plans (MEPs), which can help…
…actual change can take place before May. The running debate about the standards of care in the financial services industry is therefore beginning in earnest. The SEC is expected to weigh in on a uniform standard for brokers and investment advisers later this year; the…
…There appears to be no shortage of federal legislation being considered that could have major impacts on the retirement plan industry. The White House has issued an Executive Order that seeks the removal of some of the obstacles to certain types of open multiple employer…
2020 was an unusually busy year … and not just for the most obvious reasons. Legislatively, the retirement savings industry was faced first with the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act – actually signed into law on Dec. 20, 2019 — the…
When the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 was finally signed into law on December 20, 2019, it was a cause for celebration among retirement industry professionals everywhere. After all, the SECURE Act was the first major legislation for our…
…private-sector retirement and other employee benefit plans in light of recent trends involving ESG investing – which, as the name indicates, revolves around measuring the sustainability and societal impact of an investment, in order to determine the future financial performance of that investment. Falling under…