It seems that expectations about retirement are not the same for Americans of every background. In fact, they can vary widely depending upon ethnicity and culture. When asked whether or not they had calculated how much they would need to retire, about half of the respondents to a recent survey…
Wondering where plan sponsors will be focusing their interest and efforts in 2019? We turned over a few stones on the Web and found some ideas. Here are two of them: Getting those holdouts into the plan The low-hanging fruit, aka employees with a lot of interest in their future…
Q: One of our 2019 goals is to provide financial education to our employees. There are many companies and individuals providing this kind of education; how can we pick the right one for our company? A: Congratulations on making the decision to move ahead with financial education! When employees have…
As employers continue looking for ways to help employees retire securely, the Roth account has become a regular plan feature. In the five years starting in 2014, in fact, inclusion of a Roth account feature had increased 18.1%, so that by 2018, 72.7% of 401(k) and 403(b) plans included one….
Surprising employer response in 2018 It’s interesting to compare changes year by year, but over time is when real results emerge. That’s often true in retirement plans; while there may be small, incremental changes in enrollment, investments and plan design one year to the next, comparing decades can be much…
Young/new employees dive into stocks Some benchmarks in the stock market have returned to where they were before the recent recessions, bubbles, and scandals. Others, though, may never be the same. Whether that’s good or bad you can decide for yourself. Back in 2007, fewer than half of 401(k) plan…
Q: We like to keep an eye on trends that could impact retirement for our employees. Is anything new on the horizon these days? A: Yes, there are some trends to watch, although some have been on our (and probably your) radar for the last few years. The American Retirement Association…
Saving for retirement can challenge the best of us. For one group of employees, the challenge seems particularly daunting. Your mid-career colleagues, those between 36 and 56 years of age, may sometimes feel the odds are stacked against them. They are squeezed by their own debt, financial obligations to children…
When expectation and reality differ, the results can be tough to take — especially when the subject is retirement. By communicating with employees in a way that recognizes both the perceptions and the realities, employers can smooth the transition from worker to retiree. With this disconnect in mind, it’s important…
Including company stock among the investments in your 401(k) plan can be powerful. It gives employees a voice in the firm’s direction, pride of ownership, and a direct correlation between their job and company performance. At the same time, employees should understand how to use company stock wisely as a…
