More 401(k) plan sponsors are dissatisfied with their recordkeepers

Among sponsors of 401(k) plans, overall satisfaction with their recordkeepers is down 30% to 40% across all markets, according to 401kExchange. The firm’s 2009 Provider Rating Report found that only 25% to 35% of plans rated their provider a 4 or a 5, compared with more than 70% in 2006. Driven in part by the collapse of the stock market, plan sponsors are getting savvier about service and have begun holding their recordkeeper to a higher standard, says 401kExchange’s president, Fred Barstein.

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PPA changes could spur combo LTC plans

So-called combo long-term care products, which blend LTC with annuities and life insurance, are likely to become increasingly popular as new provisions of the Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006 take effect this year and pricing benefits become clearer.

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Podcast: Combating identity theft in medical recordkeeping

Ed Goodman, chief privacy officer of Identity Theft 911, describes the growing threat of identity theft linked to medical records, and offers some valuable advice on what employers should be doing right now.

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Inertia, anxiety still rule the day for 401(k) participants

More than two-thirds of 401(k) plan participants (68%) have not made any savings or investment changes to their accounts in response to the financial crisis, choosing instead to “ride it out,” a new study has found.

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Podcast: Pushing PBMs to the limit

Michael Jacobs, a principal and national clinical practice leader at Buck Consultants, vists “Five Minutes With...” to discuss with Associate Editor Lydell C. Bridgeford the firm’s latest research on prescription drug benefits and how health care reform and the economy are shaping employers’ attitudes toward the benefits.

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