ridgeworth.com - Retirement Thought of the Week http://www.ridgeworth.com/news/feed A Feed about Retirement Thought of the Week from RidgeWorth Financial en teamddm.com ridgeworth.com - Retirement Thought of the Week http://ridgeworth.com/includes/files/base/images/ridgeworthfunds/ridgeworthfunds.gif http://www.ridgeworth.com/news/feed <![CDATA[Almost 20% of micro plans now have implemented auto-enrollment (up from 18% last year), 8% use...]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500
— 2011 PLANADVISER Micro Plan Survey, September 2011]]> <![CDATA[Almost 20% of sponsors that have funds with revenue sharing are not certain what proportion...]]> Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500
— 2012 Defined Contribution Trends Survey, Callan Associates]]> <![CDATA[58% of sponsors that reduced or eliminated company contributions to their plans during the past two years...]]> Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500
— Callan Associates, "2011 Defined Contribution Trends Survey: Positioning the DC Plan for the Future", January 2011]]> <![CDATA[With only 57.6% of plans with assets of less than $1 million and 63.6% of plans with assets of $1 million to...]]> Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500
— PLANSPONSOR Defined Contribution Survey, November 2010]]> <![CDATA[The design of the employer match can be a powerful motivator in boosting the amount participants put into...]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500
— The Principal Financial Group analysis, November 2010]]> <![CDATA[85% of workers eligible for defined contribution retirement plans reported that they are participating...]]> Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500
— Principal Financial Well-Being Index, December 2010]]> <![CDATA[Three out of four workers are going to be unable to replace 70% of their pre-retirement income...]]> Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— Financial Engines, "National 401(k) Evaluation," October 2010]]> <![CDATA[Of the participants who are not contributing the maximum amount into their plans, 87 percent...]]> Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— ING Retirement Research Institute study, November 2010]]> <![CDATA[63% of large plan sponsors and four out of five consultants think participation in DC plans...]]> Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— Greenwich Associates, "The Path Forward: Designing the Ideal Defined Contribution Plan," November 2010]]> <![CDATA[When posed with the idea of an auto escalation beginning at age 45, 22% of defined contribution participants...]]> Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— LIMRA survey, October 2010]]> <![CDATA[Heightened awareness of retirement income sufficiency coming out of the downturn, along with...]]> Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— McKinsey & Company, "Winning in the Defined Contribution Market of 2015: New Realities Reshape the Competitive Landscape," September 2010]]> <![CDATA[The average plan has approximately 60% of assets invested in equities. Assets are most frequently...]]> Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America, "53rd Annual Survey of Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plans," September 2010]]> <![CDATA[The number of funds offered to plan participants appears to be leveling out after many years of...]]> Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America, "53rd Annual Survey of Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plans," September 2010]]> <![CDATA[While a majority (55%) of 401(k) plan participants surveyed say they would use free personalized advice...]]> Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— Charles Schwab survey, "The New Rules of Engagement for 401(k) Success", September 2010]]> <![CDATA[Most employers offering a defined contribution (DC) plan provide matching contributions: 81% of...]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans "Employee Benefits Survey: U.S. and Canada 2011," September 2010]]> <![CDATA[People who are six to 15 years prior to retirement are feeling substantially less "hopeful"...]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Ameriprise Financial, "New Retirement Mindscape", September 2010]]> <![CDATA[Plan sponsors who are comfortable with the level of training they received from their plan provider reported...]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Anova Consulting Group survey, September 2010]]> <![CDATA[Loans initiated over the past 12 months (ended 8/2010) grew to 11% of total active participants from about...]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Fidelity Survey, August 2010]]> <![CDATA[Employee confidence in having enough savings to live comfortably in retirement has...]]> Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Towers Watson Retirement Attitudes survey, September 2010]]> <![CDATA[64.4 percent of plan sponsors review their investments quarterly and 85.8 percent of sponsors...]]> Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America, "53rd Annual Survey of Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plans," September 2010]]> <![CDATA[Defined contribution investment-only assets will reach $2 trillion by the end of...]]> Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— The Cerulli Edge: Retirement Edition, July 2010]]> <![CDATA[In preparation for pending participant fee disclosure rules, 60% of plan sponsors indicate they will take...]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400 • 53% will conduct an administrative fee benchmarking study;
• 28% will reevaluate who (participant or employer) pays administrative fees; and
• 21% will change from a nontransparent bundled pricing arrangement to a transparent, fixed administrative fee pricing arrangement

— Mercer survey, July 2010]]> <![CDATA[One third of employers would like more information from their retirement plan provider about the fees...]]> Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies&#039; 11th annual Retirement Worker Survey, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[27% of plan participants set their deferral because it was enough to qualify for their employer's matching...]]> Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Principal Financial Well-Being Index, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[Nearly all employers (93%) believe they give employees the right information to make decisions about their...]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies&#039; 11th annual Retirement Worker Survey, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[27 percent of sponsors use auto-enrollment in 2010, up from 24 percent in 2009. The median...]]> Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies&#039; 11th annual Retirement Worker Survey, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[74% of Plan Sponsors are very worried about meeting their fiduciary obligations and the 87%...]]> Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— The Briskin Consulting Study of Small-Retirement-Plan Sponsors, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[During a time of generally rising stock market values in the first quarter of 2010, most DC plan participants...]]> Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— ICI Survey, "Defined Contribution Plan Participants&#039; Activities," March 2010]]> <![CDATA[45 percent of participants who took a hardship withdrawal...]]> Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Fidelity survey, August 2010]]> <![CDATA[Nearly 30% of survey respondents indicated they failed to rollover their retirement savings into an...]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Harris Interactive survey, September 2010]]> <![CDATA[Nearly two-thirds of plan sponsors—and nearly half of even the largest programs—now rely on the services...]]> Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— PLANSPONSOR Annual Defined Contribution Services Survey, November 2010]]> <![CDATA[Data from October 2008 through April 2010 shows the average account balance increase for all participants was...]]> Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Mercer Study, July 2010]]> <![CDATA[Seven in ten (69%) survey respondents cited the employer match as the reason they enrolled in their...]]> Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— "The New Rules of Engagement for 401k Success", Charles Schwab study, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[People who spend time with a financial professional report saving two to three times more than their peers...]]> Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— ING Retirement Research Institute study, December 2010]]> <![CDATA[Due to the economic downturn, more people than ever before are aware of the need to be prepared for...]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— "Winning in the Defined Contribution Market of 2015: New Realities Reshape the Competitive Landscape." McKinsey & Company, September 2010]]> <![CDATA[Increasing auto default and escalation thresholds could direct an additional $90 billion into DC by 2015...]]> Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— "Winning in the Defined Contribution Market of 2015: New Realities Reshape the Competitive Landscape." McKinsey & Company, September 2010]]> <![CDATA[By 2015, nearly 70% of assets will be held by individuals at or within...]]> Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— "Winning in the Defined Contribution Market of 2015: New Realities Reshape the Competitive Landscape." McKinsey & Company, September 2010]]> <![CDATA[Only 27% of small plan sponsors believe they have a ‘deep understanding’ of...]]> Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— The Briskin Consulting Study of Small-Retirement-Plan Sponsors, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[Small plan sponsors are most satisfied with the routine compliance support and client service they receive and...]]> Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 16 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— The Briskin Consulting Study of Small-Retirement-Plan Sponsors, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[21% of all 401(k) participants eligible for loans had loans outstanding against their accounts during...]]> Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— 401(k) Plan Asset Allocation, Account Balances, and Loan Activity in 2009, EBRI, November 2010]]> <![CDATA[Advisers who are "heavy" on the retirement market — those who obtain at least 60% of their income from 401(k)...]]> Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Brightwork Partners LLC survey, November 2010]]> <![CDATA[Among full-time, full-year wage and salary workers ages 21–64 (those with the strongest connection to...]]> Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Employment-Based Retirement Plan Participation: Geographic Differences and Trends, EBRI, October 2010]]> <![CDATA[Nearly one-half (47.2 percent) of the oldest cohort (Early Baby Boomers) are simulated to be "at risk" of not having...]]> Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— 2010 Retirement Readiness Rating™ EBRI, July 2010]]> <![CDATA[Three-quarters of defined contribution plan participants are projected to fall short of what...]]> Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— Financial Engines, DC Survey, October 2010]]> <![CDATA[While 46% of Baby Boomers describe the American dream as a comfortable retirement, it looks like that...]]> Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— 2010 MetLife Study of the American Dream, April 2010]]> <![CDATA[Almost a third (31%) of workers ages 50 to 55 in 1991 participated in a tax-deferred retirement plan. That...]]> Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— University of Michigan Retirement Research Center, July 2010]]> <![CDATA[Americans held $4.2 trillion in all employer-based defined contribution (DC) retirement plans, of which...]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400
— The U.S. Retirement Market, First Quarter 2010, EBRI]]> <![CDATA[The use of professional advice has a positive impact on participant savings, diversification, and investing...]]> Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 - Improved savings rates - Seventy percent of participants who receive 401k advice make changes to their deferral rates, and their savings rates nearly double as a result, jumping on average from five percent to 10 percent of pay.
- Greater diversification - The average participant who has not received professional advice is invested in less than four (3.7) asset classes, whereas participants who receive advice have a minimum of eight asset classes.
- More disciplined investing behavior - The vast majority (92%) of advice users stayed the course in their 401k portfolios from July 2008 through February 2009 and were fully invested for the significant market rebound through the remainder of 2009.

— "The New Rules of Engagement for 401k Success", Charles Schwab study, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[Small and micro-size plans are projected to reach $430 billion in assets under management by the end...]]> Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— Retirement Research Inc., September 2010]]> <![CDATA[Four in five people (79.3 percent) say they are less than confident that all of their sources of income combined...]]> Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— The Hartford's 2010 Investments & Retirement Study, December 2010]]> <![CDATA[The success rate of younger employees with 31-40 years of 401k eligibility reaching an 80 percent pre-retirement...]]> Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500
- A higher automatic enrollment contribution rate cap;
- A successful program to reduce in automatic contribution escalation opt outs;
- A higher annual automatic contribution escalation rate.

— "Raising the Bar: Pumping Up Retirement Savings", co-authored by Lori Lucas, DC practice leader at Callan Associates and chair of the research committee at DCIIA. October 2010]]> <![CDATA[More plan sponsors seem open to the idea of changing advisors or adding an independent advisor to...]]> Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— 401k Exchange Survey, October 2010]]> <![CDATA[The existence of an employer matching contribution is the single most significant factor in determining...]]> Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— LIMRA Study, December 2010]]> <![CDATA[Workers are attaching more value to their 401(k)s and are seeing their balances strengthen, but many feel...]]> Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500
55% of workers consider their savings plan more important since the 2008 financial crisis, compared with 46% in 2009. Plan balances show dramatic improvement, with 76% reporting increases, compared with 79% reporting decreases in 2009.

At the same time, 49% said they feel less confident about managing their retirement investments. About half said they are also unsure of their ability to gauge inflation risk in their investments, 44% said they lack confidence in generating income in retirement, and 82% said they have little or no experience managing sums over $100,000.

— Blackrock survey, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[Contributions to 401(k) plans increased in 2010, 18% of respondents said they have increased...]]> Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— Principal Financial Survey, October 2010]]> <![CDATA[In 2010, 62% of plan sponsors surveyed feel that their responsibility includes taking an interest whether...]]> Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— Deloitte's 401(K) Benchmarking Survey, 2010]]> <![CDATA[In 2009, $2.1 trillion, or 51 percent, of employer-sponsored DC plan assets were invested in mutual funds. Sixty...]]> Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— "The U.S. Retirement Market, 2009" ICI Research Update, May 2010]]> <![CDATA[In the past year, defined contribution balances have shifted away from capital preservation funds and toward...]]> Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500
— How Does Your Retirement Program Stack Up?, Mercer, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[Average participant contribution, as a percentage of pay, was 6.86% at year end 2009, down...]]> Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500
— How Does Your Retirement Program Stack Up?, Mercer, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[While many plan sponsors describe their roles as having direct responsibility for their plan, 45% of micro/small plan...]]> Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500
— "Inside the Minds of Plan Sponsors" AllianceBernstein, January 2010]]> <![CDATA[Almost four years after the passage of the Pension Protection Act (PPA), only 29% of defined contribution plan...]]> Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500
— "Inside the Minds of Plan Sponsors" AllianceBernstein, January 2010]]> <![CDATA[Employees in large and small firms participate at very similar rates if a retirement...]]> Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500
— Small Business Retirement Plan Availability and Worker Participation, Kathryn Kobe, Economic Consulting Services, LLC, SBA Office of Advocacy, March 2010]]> <![CDATA[The number of retirement plan participants who want help with their investments jumped to 58% at the...]]> Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500
— "Retirement Market Insights 2010," Spectrem Group, April 2010]]> <![CDATA[Workers who are offered a plan started saving at a median age of 28 (two years before those without...]]> Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500
More significantly, of those offered access to a workplace retirement plan (77% participate), two-thirds (66%) are saving for retirement outside of the plan provided by their employer. Just 57% of those not offered a plan are saving outside of work.

— 11th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey, Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, April 2010]]> <![CDATA[Of the plans automatically enrolling employees, a third (34%) are also automatically increasing savings rates...]]> Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500
— Schwab Annual Survey, March 2010]]> <![CDATA[Of the 35% of employers automatically enrolling employees, two-thirds (67%) are automatically enrolling...]]> Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500
— Schwab Annual Survey, March 2010]]> <![CDATA[41% of respondents report they are more confused about how to save for retirement after weathering...]]> Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— COUNTRY Financial Security Index, Rasmussen Reports, LLC, March 2010]]> <![CDATA[When asked to identify their reasons for establishing DC plans, plan sponsors' top answers...]]> Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— "The Business Case for a DC Plan" Mercer 2009 Global Defined Contribution Survey, March 2010]]> <![CDATA[Most DC plan participants stayed the course with their asset allocations in the first three...]]> Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Enduring Confidence in the 401(k) System: Investor Attitudes and Actions, ICI, January 2010]]> <![CDATA[The average U.S. employee will need 15.7 times their final pay in retirement resources...]]> Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— 2010 Universe Benchmarks Study, Hewitt Associates, May 2010]]> <![CDATA[Nearly four in five adults (78%) agreed that they would benefit from advice and answers...]]> Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Consumer Financial Literacy Survey, National Foundation for Credit Counseling, April 2010]]> <![CDATA[Nearly 19% of plan sponsors either reduced or eliminated their company matching contribution...]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— "Defined Contribution Trends Survey: Getting the DC Plan Back on Track" Callan Associates, January 2010]]> <![CDATA[Virtually all plan sponsors (93.3%) have calculated the fees of their DC plan within the past...]]> Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— "Defined Contribution Trends Survey: Getting the DC Plan Back on Track" Callan Associates, January 2010]]> <![CDATA[While asset allocation continues to be one of the biggest challenges for most participants, over the...]]> Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400
Back in 2000, participants on average directed over 80 percent of their new contribution dollars into equities. By contrast, participants were contributing less than 70 percent to equities by the end of 2009.

The percentage of participants contributing 100 percent to equities also dropped considerably during that same time period to 19 percent in 2009 from 47 percent in 2000.

During that same time, contributions made to blended funds, which include both age-based target date funds and balanced funds, nearly tripled from nine percent in 2000 to 26 percent in 2009.

— Based on the accounts of 11 million participants in more than 17,000 corporate defined contribution plans recordkept by Fidelity Investments as of December 31, 2009.]]> <![CDATA[61% of boomers say their fear of running out of retirement funds outweighs their fear of...]]> Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— "Reclaiming the Future: Challenging Retirement Income Perceptions," Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life®) and Dr. Ken Dychtwald, AgeWave, May 2010]]> <![CDATA[In terms of investment knowledge, 29% of small plan sponsors consider themselves to be 'very experienced'...]]> Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— The Briskin Consulting Study of Small-Retirement-Plan Sponsors, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[Only 27% of small plan sponsors believe they have a 'deep understanding' of ERISA, EGTRRA, and other...]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400
Only 19% felt they had a 'deep understanding' of ERISA fiduciary requirements. Fifty six percent said they had 'limited knowledge' and 21% had 'no knowledge.' The remaining 4% said they had never heard of the term 'Fiduciary.'

— The Briskin Consulting Study of Small-Retirement-Plan Sponsors, June 2010]]> <![CDATA[Sixty three percent of small plan sponsors are satisfied with their plan provider, while 29%...]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400
Plan sponsors are most satisfied with the routine compliance support and client service they receive and with the level of diversification of their plan's investment options. However, they are largely dissatisfied with investment performance and with the quality of fiduciary and regulatory advice and education they receive from their providers. They also wish for greater transparency of fee information.

— The Briskin Consulting Study of Small-Retirement-Plan Sponsors , June 2010]]> <![CDATA[Participants who get (investment) "help" - defined in the report as target-date funds, managed accounts, or...]]> Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400
On average, the median annual return for "help participants" was almost 2% (186 basis points) higher than for "non-help participants," net of fees.

— "Help in Defined Contribution Plans: Is It Working and for Whom?" Hewitt Associates and Financial Engines, January 2010]]> <![CDATA[42% of workers age 45 and older have total savings and investments of less than $25,000 (only 18% of workers...]]> Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI)]]> <![CDATA[Defined contribution plan and IRA assets invested in mutual funds constituted $4.1 trillion, or 25 percent, of...]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— “The U.S. Retirement Market, 2009” ICI Research Update, May 2010]]> <![CDATA[Total U.S. retirement assets were $16.0 trillion at year-end 2009, up nearly $2.0 trillion, or 14 percent, from...]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— “The U.S. Retirement Market, 2009” ICI Research Update, May 2010]]> <![CDATA[Having 10 to 14 investment fund options in a 401(k) is most common, but 11 percent of...]]> Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Survey on Default Investments, Watson Wyatt, April 2009]]> <![CDATA[From year-end 2003 through year-end 2008, the average account balance among the group of...]]> Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— 401(k) Plan Asset Allocation, Account Balances, and Loan Activity in 2008, ICI Research Perspective, October 2009]]> <![CDATA[Advisors who sell DC Plans are 40% more successful - those who sell and manage workplace retirement plans manage...]]> Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Success at Work: Capturing Advisor-Sold Retirement Plan Dollars, Cogent Research, December 2009]]> <![CDATA[More than one-in-five (21%) workers say they have reduced their 401(k) contributions or personal savings...]]> Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— CareerBuilder.com Survey, June 2009]]> <![CDATA[Workers automatically enrolled in 401(k) plans overwhelmingly either accept the default deferral rate set by the employer or elect to...]]> Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Fidelity Investments Workplace Investing Survey, July 2009]]> <![CDATA[For the first time, more than half of all plans (51.8%) offer investment advice to...]]> Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— 52nd Annual Survey of Profit Sharing and 401(k) Plans, The Profit Sharing/401k Council of America (PSCA), October 2009]]> <![CDATA[More than one-third of respondents with a four-year college degree were not familiar with...]]> Mon, 31 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 31 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Helping Tomorrow's Retirees Better Prepare Today, String Financial, 2009]]> <![CDATA[A survey of more than 300 mid- to large-sized companies found that the percentage of employers...]]> Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Hewitt Associates, November 2009]]> <![CDATA[90 percent of employers feel it is important to their business that employees understand and appreciate the value of...]]> Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Colonial Life, SHRM National Conference Survey, June 2009]]> <![CDATA[The average before-tax contribution rate was 7.4 percent in 2008, down from 7.7 percent in 2007.]]> Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400 ]]> <![CDATA[More employees increased their savings rate in 2008 (15.4%) than decreased it (14.9 %). Just...]]> Mon, 03 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 03 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— How Well Are Employees Saving and Investing in 401(k) Plans: Universe Benchmarks 2009, Hewitt Associates, May 2009]]> <![CDATA[When asked about the importance of different features of a 401(k) plan, 87% of employers rate providing...]]> Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Getting Retirement Savings Back on Track: Employer Views on the 401(k) and Financial Education in the Workplace, CFO Research Services, June 2009]]> <![CDATA[Sixty-eight percent of employers report that the number of employees switching to more conservative investments...]]> Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Getting Retirement Savings Back on Track: Employer Views on the 401(k) and Financial Education in the Workplace, CFO Research Services, June 2009]]> <![CDATA[As of May 2009, 13% of DC plan sponsors have changed their investment product offerings as a result of the crisis...]]> Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— Pension Plans: Impact of the Financial Crisis - International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, May 2009
]]> <![CDATA[One-third of investors had no idea what percentage of their retirement account...]]> Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— I-Pension LLC, June 2009]]> <![CDATA[27% of 401(k) investors didn't open their 2008 fourth-quarter statements. Of those who did open and read them, 72%...]]> Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— I-Pension LLC, June 2009]]> <![CDATA[Direct links have been found to exist between how often a retirement seminar is offered and increased levels of 401(k)...]]> Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400
— The Effects of Financial Education in the Workplace: Evidence from a Survey of Employers - KPMG Peat Marwick, November 2009]]> <![CDATA[Only 42% of respondents who are not retired said they have tried to figure out how much they need to save for retirement.]]> Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400