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Obamacare Hits Small Business Hard in Gloomy 2015; Costs to Rise

"Many grocers and restaurants have opted to pay the fine rather than swallow the larger cost of buying coverage for all workers. Others are cutting back worker hours to duck the law altogether. Universal health care is hardly 'free,' and its costs hit both employees and customers hard. Service companies -- including even garbage collectors -- are passing on the added cost to customers in the form of higher bills."

Fees Dropping for 401(k) Mutual Fund Investors

"The average 401(k) stock fund investor was charged 0.58% of assets to cover expenses at year-end 2013 vs. the industry retail average expense ratio of 0.74% ... The 401(k) average expense ratio on stock funds was 0.83% in 2003. On average, the industry charged an expense ratio of 1% of assets from 2000 through 2003."

Health Mandate Will Kill Jobs, Most Small Businesses Argue

Excerpt: As Democrats struggle to pass a sweeping health care bill, employer mandates are a key flash point. The House plan would make businesses cover their employees or pay an additional 8% payroll tax to help provide government-subsidized insurance. Employers' insurance would have to cover hospitalization, outpatient care, doctor visits, prescription drugs, rehab services, preventive services, and maternity and 'well baby' care. It could have no annual or lifetime limits on benefits.

Pensions Leaving Workers Behind by Focusing on Messaging, Politics

"[The Council for Institutional Investors (CII)] describes itself as a 'leading voice for effective corporate governance practices for U.S. companies and strong shareowner rights and protections.' But what started off as promoting good governance has transformed into politically motivated environment and social governance, often referred to as ESG. Fiduciary responsibility has taken a back seat.... CII members are staring at an unfunded liability of nearly $4 trillion ... So why do they insist on devoting so much of their time and resources on initiatives that will do nothing to help close that gap?"

HSA Contributions Grew in 2022; Here Are the Rules for 2023

"HSA assets grew to $98.8 billion as of June 30, a 6% increase from the prior year. The number of accounts rose 9% to nearly 34 million. Account holders contributed over $26 billion and withdrew $18 billion in the first half of this year -- an 11% and 12% increase from the prior year, respectively."

Best HSA Accounts for 2020

"[The authors] judged dozens of HSA account providers to pinpoint ones likely to best fit your health savings goals. HSA accounts were evaluated on ... investment quality and options, ... with special attention to fees."

How Millennials Are Building Better 401(k) Accounts Than Older Workers

"[O]nly 59.4% of millennials have an account vs. 63.6% of Gen Xers and 66.1% of baby boomers. But millennials are leaders in what may be the single most important trait. As a group, they are on track to replace a higher portion of their pre-retirement income once they retire."

How Lavish Benefit Promises Are Coming Back to Haunt Public Sector Workers

"Benefits are taking a big bite out of school budgets in a number of states that have made lavish pension and retiree health care promises to workers. Connecticut, with one of the worst-funded state pension systems, has seen the cost of supplying benefits to its school employees rocket by 123% over 10 years, so that benefits alone now consume 27% of its public education budgets, up from 18% a decade ago.... In many states, there's little hope that this pressure will end soon."

Obamacare Enrollees Face a Rude Awakening in Two Weeks

"[O]verall, nearly a third of the counties in the U.S. will have only one insurer.... [In Illinois] the average increase for a Silver plan is 45%. The average for the cheaper Bronze is 44%. The biggest hike in the state is 84%, and the smallest is 20% ... In Nebraska, the average premium hikes for the two remaining insurers in the state are 41% and 55% ... A 25-year-old living in [California] who makes $18,000 a year will end up paying an average of $1,080 a year -- after subsidies -- for a Silver plan that comes with $3,000 in deductibles ... That means they'll have to spend roughly 20% of their income on premiums and medical bills before seeing a dime in benefits. For a 40-year-old who makes more than $47,500 -- and won't be eligible for any subsidies -- the cheapest Bronze plan will cost $2,412 a year, and come with $6,800 in deductibles."

The Public Pension Problem Is Much Worse Than It Appears

"Most state and local pension funds closed the books on their latest fiscal year on June 30, and during that 12-month period the bellwether Standard & Poor's 500 increased by less than half a percentage point. While many funds have yet to report their results for the year, early returns suggest that the industry fell well short of its lofty investment goals."