Retirement

• Automatic 401(k) features escalate savings

  The Pension Protection Act may have been passed back in 2006, but the regulation is being revisited now that enough time has passed to allow a serious look at how the provisions have affected the health of retirement savings. New analysis by the Employee Benefit Research Institute finds that the "automatic" 401(k) features enacted by the PPA have a very significant positive impact in generating additional retirement savings for many workers, especially for low-income workers.

• Future brightens for DB plans once again

  Fueled by strong assets and an increase in discount rates, the funding health of defined benefit pension plans at S&P 500 companies increased for the second straight year in 2007, according to a new analysis by Mercer.

Advertisement

• New HSA funding opportunities via IRAs

  The health savings account has already proven to be a relatively flexible account-based benefit in its ability to be layered with other products and double as a retirement vehicle. Now the product can add another feather to its hat. Owners of individual retirement accounts who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan can shift IRA funds into a HSA, without facing a tax penalty.

• Retiree health expenses: How much is enough?

  Workers nearing retirement may want to beef up their retirement savings earmarked for health care premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses, suggests new research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

• Nursing home reviews mixed

  A new study may have some thinking twice about their long term care options. The U.S. nursing home system must reevaluate how its facilities are designed and managed, according to the Commonwealth Fund.

• OMG I have no money: Texting demographic requires new approach

  Participants at the National Investment Company Service Association's East Coast regional meeting recently set their sights on how to convince the 80 million Generation Y members to save for retirement.

• Proposed 401(k) fee disclosure rules would complicate adviser dealings with clients

  Adviser concerns are mounting about planned ERISA changes. Some say DOL's proposed 408(b)(2) reglations - especially those dealing with advance compensation disclosure and conflict of interest reporting - are overly burdensome and redundant.

• Savvy spending effects savings

  With recession fears mounting, more Americans are cutting back on spending in order to save money. Spending wisely or not spending as much ranks second as a savings strategy, only behind interest-bearing accounts, in a new poll from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Twenty-five percent of respondents say checking their spending habits was their chief savings strategy, versus only a 2% response for that method in 2007.

• DOL and Congress focus on 401(k) fees

  Legislators and federal agencies plan to concentrate their efforts on addressing excessive 401(k) fees, and employers can expect to see new guidance on several retirement-related topics soon.

• Uptick in Roth 401(k)s

  The Merrill Lynch Retirement Group reports that, among the 1,700 plans on its proprietary record keeping system, 12% added a Roth option as of March 31, 2008

• The EBA Raw Bar: Financial literacy, employer surveys, med-tour and more ...

  Medical tourism is back on our radar this week as we discuss the emerging trend with a pair of experts. PlanetHospital's Rudy Rupak talks about going overseas for care and Clayton Larsen of Flagship Global Health talks about the importance of having their service available domestically and internationally. Check out the rest of this week's Raw Bar offerings below and make sure to go online for the rest of our recent discussions.

• Benefits a factor in deferring retirement

  Now there's evidence to prove what advisers and employers may have suspected. Older employees without access to health coverage outside of work or who have a weak retirement plan are far less likely to retire.

Most Popular

• Employee dietary habits affect productivity

  Employers striving for a more productive workforce may want to begin their mission in the cafeteria. Employees with balanced diets have 10 times more energy, compared to workers with poor dietary habits, reports ComPsych Corp. in its 2008 Health & Productivity Index.

• Voters split over health care reform solutions

  Republican and Democratic voters have displayed differing views on the nation's health care problems in the primaries, says the New England Journal of Medicine?s report, Health Care in the 2008 Presidential Primaries.

• Talent trumps technology in the HR department

  How can advisers help their clients improve business processes in the HR department? By supporting high-tech solutions that help their people be their best. Human resource executives have consistently ranked technology and systems implementation as their top priority in HR service delivery. In 2008, however, employers report that their talent agenda is taking center stage.

Most Forwarded

• Taking off: Expectations for medical tourism continue to soar

• Separating self-funding fact from fiction