Part Time On Call Retirement Planning Consultant
for Diversified in AR, CA, DC, GA, HI, MI, NC, OH, UT

DC Administrator
for Growing Midwest Firm in IN

Pension Assistant
for The Ryding Company in CA

Customer Relationship Manager
for Rapidly Growing Financial Services Company in the retirement plan marketplace in PA

Vested Internal Document Coordinator
for PNC in PA

Investment Consulting Senior Manager
for Charles Schwab in OH

ERISA Compliance Specialist
for Charles Schwab in OH

Retirement Plan Consultant
for Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group in MA

Account Executive
for Ascensus in MN, PA

Post Your Job on EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com

View All Jobs

RSS Feed: All Jobs

"The Ins and Outs of Benefits, Rights, and Features" Web Seminar - New Date
Nationwide on October 26, 2012 presented by SunGard Relius

"The Dirty Dozen: Correcting the Most Common Plan Errors"
Nationwide on October 23, 2012 presented by SunGard Relius

"Testing for Related Employers" Web Seminar
Nationwide on October 5, 2012 presented by SunGard Relius

"Electronic Notices: Fee Disclosures and Beyond" Web Seminar
Nationwide on October 10, 2012 presented by SunGard Relius

Profit-Driven Strategies in the DCIO Market
in Massachusetts on January 28, 2013 presented by Financial Research Associates

10th Annual Taft-Hartley Benefit Fund Summit
in Nevada on February 10, 2013 presented by Financial Research Associates

CFDD

 

Substitutes' Snafus Put NFL Referees' Pension Issue on the Goal Line
"[T]he NFL's general counsel ...[said] earlier this month that the league proposed replacing the officials' $75 million defined benefit plan with a 401(k) plan, with contributions beginning at about $16,500 in 2012 and increasing to $22,000.... The officials want to continue receiving a traditional pension plan ... [C]ontinuing a DB pension plan for officials would cost the NFL about one-third of 1% of its revenue." (Pensions & Investments)

[Advert.]

Are you frustrated with 8955-SSA or 1099 filings this year?

Ask ftwilliam.com about our fulfillment services. You do the preparation and then we will take care of the rest on your behalf. We will do all of the electronic filing and any printing and mailing necessary. Contact us for details sales@ftwilliam.com

Who Gets Covered by a Retirement Plan and Why, 2011 (PDF)
"Most workers who are likely to have the ability to save and to be focused primarily on saving for retirement are covered by an employer-provided retirement plan.... Younger and lower-income households are more likely to report that they save primarily for reasons other than retirement ... Access to retirement plans at work is not randomly distributed throughout the workforce.... Workers at small employers that sponsor retirement plans are as likely to participate as workers at large employers sponsoring retirement plans." (Investment Company Institute)

Increasing Default Deferral Rates in Automatic Enrollment 401(k) Plans: The Impact on Retirement Savings Success in Plans With Automatic Escalation (PDF)
"Under a set of specified behavioral assumptions, more than [25%] of those in the lowest-income quartile who had previously NOT been successful under actual default contribution rates were found to be successful as a result of the change in deferral percentage. When employees in the highest-income quartile were analyzed under the same set of assumptions, the percentage ... was 18.4 percent." (EBRI)

U.S. Retirement Assets Total $18.5 Trillion in Second Quarter 2012
"Total U.S. retirement assets [in the form of public retirement plans, private retirement plans, IRAs and nonqualified annuity contracts] were $18.5 trillion as of June 30, 2012, down 2.0 percent from $18.9 trillion recorded on March 31, 2012. The decrease in retirement assets was driven by the drop in corporate equity values—for example, the S&P 500 Index fell by 2.8 percent in the second quarter. Retirement savings accounted for 36 percent of all household financial assets in the United States at the end of the second quarter of 2012." (Investment Company Institute)

RIA Firms Grow Via 401(k) Plan Specialization
"While many RIAs want to succeed in 401(k) plans, it's very hard because of the complex rules in place ... [S]pecialists ... are poised for dramatic growth this year.... [S]pecialist advisors who focus on retirement are anticipating a strong year of revenue growth this year predicting their revenues to increase from 30% to 70%.... [E]ven though specialists make up just 8% share of head count of advisors vying for retirement assets, they actually control 37% of assets." (RIABiz)

[Advert.]

SunGard's Relius Fall Seminars 2012

Register now for our fall seminars: Fundamentals Web series – 401(k) basics; 401(k) Plans: Beyond the Basics – intermediate; Cross-tested/Safe Harbor 401(k) Plan Design and Troubleshooting – innovative designs; ERISA Workshop – stay up to date

Underfunded Government Pensions Add Trillions to National Debt
"Although the troubles that plague the Social Security system get the most attention, similar dangers now threaten many other kinds of retirement funds. Some plans are being inadequately funded, some have earned unexpectedly low returns, and some suffer from a Baby Boom bulge in the number of retirees. Moreover, the problems facing these funds will in many cases be harder to fix than those for Social Security. And the scale of the total potential shortfall is immense." (TIME)

Los Angeles City Council Backs Pension Cuts for New Workers
"[T]he Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to roll back pension benefits and boost the retirement age to 65 for new civilian employees.... Under the new plan, spouses of retired workers will no longer be eligible for city-funded healthcare. City employees will see their take-home pay reduced in years when their retirement fund takes a hit in the stock market. And workers who retire at the age of 55 after 30 years of city employment will receive pensions that are roughly one-third the amount provided to existing employees." (Los Angeles Times)

Ownership in 401(k) Plans Continues to Grow While IRA Ownership Falls (PDF)
"Ownership of 401(k)-type plans among families participating in a retirement plan more than doubled from 31.6 percent in 1992 to 79.5 percent in 2007, and increased again in 2010 to 82.1 percent. But the percentage of families owning an IRA or Keogh retirement plan (for the self-employed) declined from 30.6 percent in 2007 to 28.0 percent in 2010. In addition, the percentage of families with a retirement plan from a current employer, a previous employer's defined contribution plan, or an IRA/Keogh declined from 66.2 percent in 2007 to 63.8 percent in 2010." (EBRI)

Go Long: The Types of Retirement Plans Offered to Pro Athletes
"You might not think pro athletes earning millions would have to worry about the risk of outliving their retirement savings. But when you consider their retirement could conceivably stretch 50 years or more, that risk isn't so far-fetched. Even with the most popular major sports leagues offering such benefits as pensions and 401(k) plans with employer matches, an athlete's relatively short career could make it hard to save adequately using those plans alone." (FoxBusiness.com)

Top Tips for Selecting a Financial Professional (PDF)
"Choosing a financial professional—whether a stockbroker, a financial planner, or an investment adviser—is an important decision. Consider the tips below as you make your choice. Also [included in this article is] a list of questions you can ask a financial professional whose services you are considering." (Securities and Exchange Commission)

San Jose Pensions to Enlist Hedge Funds With $730 Million
"The City of San Jose's Police and Fire Department Retirement Plan and the Federated City Employees' Retirement System seek to invest in 15 to 20 hedge funds in the next six to 12 months, according to ... a trustee on the police and fire system's board.... The pension funds will first search for multistrategy funds ... They will eventually seek to add relative value, event-driven, long-short equity and macro funds." (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

SEC Offers Primer on Selecting a Financial Planner
"Finding the right financial planner can be a confusing process. To simplify the search, the SEC has released a new bulletin that contains tips for finding one. It also contains a list of questions consumers should ask planners—and that all planners should be prepared to answer." (On Wall Street)

IRS May Develop Pre-Approved Program for ESOP Documents
"ESOPs are the most backlogged retirement plans being processed at the IRS. [Donald Kieffer, area manager, IRS Employee Plans Determination Letter Program] said that, under current rules, all ESOPs must be individually designed. Historically, there have been lots of problems in the processing of ESOPs, according to Kieffer, and a pre-approved program would help cure this." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)

Higher Starting Contribution Rate Upon Auto-Enrollment Would Significantly Increase Long-Term Retirement Security (PDF)
"Most private-sector employers that automatically enroll their 401(k) participants do so at a default rate of 3 percent of pay, a level consistent with the starting rate set out in the Pension Protection Act of 2006, but a rate that many financial experts say is far too low to generate sufficient assets for a comfortable retirement. Raising the default saving rate to 6 percent would significantly increase the chances for achieving retirement adequacy 'success' for both low- and high-income workers[.]" (EBRI)

Summary of Upcoming Legislative and Regulatory Landscape for Fourth Quarter 2012
"The retirement industry is working diligently to implement plan sponsor fee disclosure regulations, which were finalized in February. The Department of Labor (DOL) delay of participant fee disclosure regulation was welcome news to many plan sponsors who needed time to finalize plans to share the required information with participants. Tax expenditures will likely consume the headlines in 2012 as political debate continues about how to reduce the national debt. Defined benefit plans are getting some much needed relief as several pieces of legislation addressing funding levels and interest rate volatility, were approved." (The Principal Financial Group)

Sixth Circuit Continues to March to Its Own Drummer in 'Stock Drop' Case While Second Circuit Marches in Different Direction
"[T]he Sixth Circuit [recently] reiterated that 'the proper question' was whether the complaint 'pleads facts to plausibly allege that a fiduciary has breached its duty to the plan and a causal connection between that breach and the harm suffered by the plan -- that an adequate investigation would have revealed to a reasonable fiduciary that the investment in [company stock] was improvident.' ... By contrast, on September 4, 2012, the Second Circuit ... found that, where the plan terms 'require[e] or strongly favor[]' some investment in employer stock, 'plaintiffs must plausibly plead that [the employer] faced a "dire situation,"' in order to preclude dismissal." [Dudenhoefer v. Fifth Third Bancorp et al., No. 11-3012 (6th Cir. Sept. 5, 2012); In re Glaxosmithkline ERISA Litigation, No. 11-2289 (2d Cir. 2012)] (Seyfarth Shaw LLP)

Procedures for Meeting Fiduciary Responsibilities Should Be Reviewed Periodically
"Fiduciary duties are generally presented as distinct obligations substantiated through law and regulation. Many of the duties are accompanied by documentation and review obligations. As a practical matter, a comprehensive framework is needed to ensure that all applicable fiduciary practices are fully and effectively addressed on an ongoing basis. A planned approach to conduct periodic reviews provides such a framework." (fi360 Blog)

Slides and Handouts for Upcoming Meeting of National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators
"Presentations include: 403(b) Pre-Conference Workshop; The Washington Report: Retirement Security and Individual Responsibility; IRS/Regulatory Update - Activities and Regulations; DC 101 - RFP Selection Process; DC 101 - Fiduciary Responsibility and the Investment Policy Statement; Alternatives in Plan Administration Fee Assessment and Collection Models; 403(b) Plan Compliance; Critical Questions for Fiduciaries about Guaranteed Income Products; Stable Value Funds; Benchmarking Plans; Investment Innovations; The Impact of Social Media in Communicating with Participants; and Behavioral Finance." (NAGDCA)

[Opinion]

NAGDCA Helps to Tame Wild, Wild West of 403(b) and 457 Offerings
"The vast majority of 403(b) and 457(b) plans that our nation's state (which includes cities, counties, municipalities, etc.) government employees invest in are high in cost, laden with surrender charges (and long surrender periods) and pay commissions that would likely not be allowed in ERISA plans (state government plans are exempt from ERISA).... However, for all the poorly run plans that exist, there are some very well run plans and they are increasingly setting an example for the others and driving down costs as well increasing transparency. Many of these plans have trustees (fiduciaries) who follow ERISA principles and are members of a growing association that serves government defined contribution plans named NAGDCA, or the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators." (The Meridian Blog)

[Opinion]

The Big Flaw in Your 401(k) Plan: Actively Managed Funds
"Plan sponsors are typically not familiar with the data indicating the majority of actively managed funds underperform their benchmarks in any one year and over longer periods of time. They don't know there is no credible, peer-reviewed data demonstrating that anyone has the expertise to prospectively select outperforming actively managed funds. This lack of basic due diligence makes them easy prey for advisers who claim to have an expertise that doesn't exist." (The Huffington Post)

More Companies Filing Supplemental Disclosure to Demonstrate Pay for Performance
"With scrutiny of executive compensation at an all-time high as a result of the implementation of say-on-pay rules, more companies are using alternate definitions of 'pay' to demonstrate their pay-for-performance alignment and to counter negative say-on-pay vote recommendations by proxy advisory firms, according to [a new] report from The Conference Board. The report ... shows an emerging trend in the Russell 3000 Index, where some companies have been supplementing the summary compensation table (SCT) pay used to quantify named executive officer compensation with additional proxy filings detailing other pay measures, such as 'realized' or 'realizable' pay." (The Conference Board; purchased required to view full report)

ERISA Advisory Council to Meet on October 30-31, 2012 (PDF)
"The purpose of the open meeting ... is for the Advisory Council members to finalize the recommendations they will present to the Secretary. At the October 31 afternoon session, the Council members will receive an update from the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and present their recommendations. The Council recommendations will be on the following issues: (1) Current Challenges and Best Practices Concerning Beneficiary Designations in Retirement and Life Insurance Plans; (2) Examining Income Replacement During Retirement Years in a Defined Contribution Plan System; and (3) Managing Disability Risks in an Environment of Individual Responsibility." [Ed. note: Deadline for submission of written statements is October 22, 2012.] (Employee Benefits Security Administration)

2012-2013 U.S. Salary Increase Survey Highlights (PDF)
"Organizations remain apprehensive about adding to their fixed costs and instead are increasing their reliance on variable forms of rewards. Overall actual salary increase spending for 2012 at 2.8% fell just short of last year's projection of 2.9%. Projected salary increase spending for 2013 is expected to increase modestly to 3.0%. Conversely, variable pay spending in 2012 at 12.0% equals the highest levels of spending recorded in [this] 35+ year study and is projected to increase slightly in 2013 to 12.1%." (Aon Hewitt)

Trinity Pension Consultants Launches the Cash Balance Navigator App
Trinity Pension Consultants