COMMENTARY: Replicating Australia's Retirement System Could Fill America's Empty Nest Eggs - Summary: "Mention the word Australia and the images that come to mind are "shrimp on the barbie," Koala bears and kangaroos. We'd like to add another image: Baby boomers who can actually afford to retire." Located at: Employee Benefit News, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Annuities in 401k Plans Increasingly Accepted - Summary: Annuities in defined contribution plans are gaining momentum as aging baby boomers seek to create guaranteed retirement income streams, according to a report from the Financial Research Corporation. Located at: Planadviser.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Small Business Owners' Concerned About Retirement - Summary: Nearly half of small business owners are concerned they will not have enough money to retire (43 percent) and many say they are worried about not being able to pay for medical costs of a serious illness or accident (47 percent) according to the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Fiduciary Challenges II - Summary: Fiduciary responsibility and prudence has long required a detailed evaluation of under-performance. In the future, fiduciaries may have to be just as vigilant about examining the true nature of out-performance. Located at: Fiduciary Investor Blog, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Retirement Plan Participation: Age Differences - Summary: How does the level of participation in a retirement plan vary with age? How does the level of participation vary between workers in the private sector and those in the public sector? Located at: Employee Benefit Research Institute , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Plan Rollover Chart - Summary: This is a chart of what the Internal Revenue Service regards as permissible when rolling funds over from one type of retirement account to another. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Appellate Court Splits with Sister Court on 401k Breach Remedies - Summary: As the U.S. Supreme Court ponders whether a 401k participant can pursue a fiduciary breach suit on behalf of himself rather than on behalf of the plan, a federal appellate court has ruled that two doctors can move forward with such a breach suit as individuals. Located at: Planadviser.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Thieves Steal Computers With 401k Participants Data - Summary: Global investment management firm T. Rowe Price has admitted to thieves stealing two computers containing the sensitive information of thousands of 401k participants from the St. Louis office of a third-party contractor. Located at: SC Magazine, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Automatic Enrollment -- What You Need to Know - Summary: The automatic enrollment feature is growing rapidly in popularity. Here is what you need to know and action steps to implement automatic enrollment. Located at: TRI-AD , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Fees on 401ks Rock Boomers Facing Flawed Disclosure - Summary: For the 12 years Jerry Schneider has invested in the 401k retirement plan offered by his employer, he has battled to learn how much he pays in fees and then has tried to get Elcon to reduce them. Every time Schneider thought he'd succeeded, he discovered more charges. Located at: Bloomberg.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Consider the Benefits of a Roth 401k - Summary: The Roth 401k is particularly attractive to higher-earnings individuals, or those that would mostly likely be phased out of IRA contributions. Located at: Financial Planning Blog, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Default Funds, Which One is Better? - Summary: Target-date and balanced funds have become the main default options in corporate retirement plans. But which one is better? To get a feel for the answer, the author evaluated the historical performance of each using data from the past 48 years. Located at: Financial-Planning.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

The Role of IRAs in U.S. Households' Saving for Retirement - Summary: With $4.6 trillion in assets in mid-2007, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) represent more than one-quarter of U.S. total retirement market assets, compared with 14 percent two decades ago. IRAs have also risen in importance on households' balance sheet. Located at: Investment Company Institute , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Target Retirement Funds - Home Squeezed or Heart Healthy - Summary: In selecting and evaluating Target Retirement Fund's, fiduciaries are effectively faced with a "walk down the orange juice aisle" where product selection has become impossibly complex due to the phenomenal growth of brand extensions. Located at: Fiduciary Investor Blog, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Plans and Market Volatility - Summary: How does all of this capital market volatility affect 401k plans? Michael J. Malone of MJM401k addresses this question. Located at: MJM401k , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Vanguard Economist on the U.S. Outlook for 2008 - Summary: In two multimedia presentations—an 8½-minute video and an audiocast—Joseph Davis, Ph.D., a principal and economist for Vanguard's Investment Counseling & Research and Fixed Income Groups, takes a hard look at what may be in store for the U.S. economy in 2008. Located at: Vanguard, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Pre-Tax Rollovers to Roth IRAs - Summary: Beginning January 1, 2008, a plan participant may roll over directly from an “eligible retirement plan” account to a Roth IRA, subject to the existing limitation on Roth IRA rollovers. Located at: Sungard/Relius, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Legislative and Regulatory Year in Review and the Outlook for 2008 - Summary: This comprehensive report rounds up key legislation and regulatory guidance enacted in 2007 and forecasts the outlook for legislative and regulatory activity in 2008. Located at: Hewitt, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

CFDD Legislative Update - Summary: Written by Kathryn Capage, AIM Investments, this is a chart of retirement legislation that are actively being considered by Congress at this time. Located at: Center for Due Diligence , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Plan Cannot Limit EACAs to New Participants - Summary: Many practitioners have asked whether an existing 401k can be an eligible automatic contribution arrangement (EACA) if the automatic contributions are limited to participants who enter the plan after the date the employer adds the EACA feature. Based on the proposed automatic enrollment regulations, the answer appears to be "No." Located at: Sungard/Relius, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Facing Inadequate Nest Eggs - Summary: The conventional thinking about America's current retirement picture is that affluent Americans will be fine, but the authors suggest that a six-figure nest egg isn't a windfall to be enjoyed by affluent Americans; it should be the minimum goal for all but the poorest. Located at: Retirement Solutions , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Plan Sponsors Are Avoiding a Safe Harbor - Summary: Author suggests that, "Despite the temptation, a decision to forgo the EIAA and the attendant fiduciary audit won't help a plan meet its responsibilities — just as closing your eyes won't make you look better in front of the mirror. The safe harbor provides a disciplined means of reaching a necessary end, which is prudent management of plan assets for the exclusive benefit of participants and beneficiaries." Located at: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Rethinking the Company Match - Summary: Recent research from Harvard and Yale universities outlines potential reasons that companies may want to rethink offering a 401k match. Located at: Workforce Management (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Form 5500 in Transition - Summary: Highlights of the final rules affecting the 2007 and 2008 plan years and transition dates. Located at: Watson Wyatt Worldwide, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Much Talk, Little Action During 2007 Legislative Session - Summary: During 2007, lawmakers evinced a continuing desire to enact legislation that would affect employer-sponsored health, retirement and compensation programs – yet very little of that legislation passed. The year also marked the emergence of new issues that would affect plan investments. Located at: Watson Wyatt Worldwide, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Mediocrity - A Superior Investment Strategy? - Summary: Can mediocrity be superior from a fiduciary standpoint? Located at: Fiduciary Investor Blog, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Fortifying Fiduciary Practices, Oversight - Summary: The commentator says, "Whether we want to recognize it or not, we are fiduciaries and as such we have inherent obligations relative to the assets for which we have responsibility. It is time for the industry to move on and focus our time and considerable resources on ensuring that we are the best possible fiduciaries." Located at: P&I Online, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Just Because the Plan is on Autopilot Does Not Mean the Adviser Should Be - Summary: The role of the retirement adviser is still important because helping employers lower or eliminate the tough choices improves outcomes. Located at: Employee Benefit News (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Early Retirement Is More Than Just a Pipe Dream - Summary: Longevity is a blessing and a curse for future retirees. Living longer costs more. What was once inconceivable -- four decades in retirement -- is now possible with exercise, better diet and medical advances. Located at: Bloomberg.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Investments That Qualify Under the Final QDIA Regulation - Summary: This article focuses on the types of investments that qualify as QDIAs and is in a Q&A format. Located at: Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Automatic 401k Enrollment Can Yield Significant Returns - Summary: More than three-fourths of employers now offer a premixed portfolio option, up from 63 percent in 2005. For most workers, this investment strategy is more suitable than the more-conservative default investments used in the past. Located at: Deseret News, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Plans Still Gorged with Company Stock - Summary: After thousands of employees at now-defunct corporations such as Enron and WorldCom saw their retirement savings wiped out early in this decade, things were going to be different. But efforts to wean employees from in-house shares have gone begging. Located at: Financial Week, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

GAO Delays 401k Report Until May - Summary: The upcoming report will be called "Plan Sponsor Practices and their Oversight by the Department of Labor," according to GAO officials. Located at: ICMA-RC, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

GM Settles Class-Action 401k Suit - Summary: General Motors Corp. avoided further litigation when it agreed Tuesday, January 15, to settle for $37.5 million a class-action lawsuit filed by 401k plan participants who suffered huge losses after GM shares fell sharply. Located at: Workforce Management (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DOL Advances Fee Disclosure Initiatives for ERISA Plan Service Providers - Summary: Concerns over the lack of fee-related disclosures by ERISA plan service providers have been reflected in recent regulatory action by the Department of Labor. Located at: Littler Mendelson, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Four Ways to Recession-Proof a 401k - Summary: The bears are lurking. These four strategies -- from the safe to the aggressive -- can help you protect or even grow your nest egg in this downturn. Located at: MSN.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Participants More Active in 2007 than Years Prior - Summary: On a year-end basis, participants moved a modest 0.04% of their 401k assets daily but had more above-normal transfer days during 2007 than any of the past four years, according to the latest Hewitt 401k Index data. Located at: Planadviser.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Lawyers in Principal Revenue Sharing Case Spar over Confidentiality Issue - Summary: The latest legal battle in the lawsuit over the Principal Financial Group's 401k revenue sharing arrangements centers around whether a federal judge in Iowa will impose sweeping restrictions on how information provided in pre-trial discovery can be used. Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Conducting a DC Plan Assessment - Summary: It is clearer than ever that DC plan sponsors can no longer afford to take a laissez-faire approach toward plan management. The plan fiduciaries must ensure they are doing everything they can to act exclusively in the interest of the plan's participants. Located at: Sibson Consulting, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Just Put It on My 401k Debit Card - Summary: A growing number of companies now offer employees the option of being issued a debit card that taps a 401k loan. The card, called ReservePlus, allows workers to withdraw funds from their 401ks. The immediate concern for consumers is that impulse spending desires could trump their long-term savings needs. Located at: TheStreet.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Winter 2008 Employee Plans News - Summary: This edition includes articles such as EP Connections: Interview with Michael Julianelle; Interim Amendment List Has Been Updated; Critical Priorities...By Monika Templeman; Highlights of Retirement News for Employers; Get Your EIN Online; Benefits Conferences Coming to a Site Near You; PBGC Insights; DOL Corner; We're Glad You Asked!; and Calendar of EP Benefits Conferences. Located at: IRS , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Thorough Knowledge of 401k's but a Dream - Summary: Humberto Cruz, columnist for Tribune Media Services, shares a few of his dreams for 2008. Located at: Chicago Tribune, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: On New Schedule C Required Disclosure of Fees - Summary: Recently, the Department of Labor released two regulatory initiatives, the final Form 5500 regulations and the proposed section 408(b)(2) regulations, that will have an enormous impact on both plan sponsors and plan service providers. Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Truth is a Risk Management Tool - Summary: Fred Reish says, "Truth is a risk management tool -- in the sense that, if the truth is fully explained to people, both up front and along the way, there is almost never litigation or other claims of wrongdoing. In fact, lawsuits and government enforcement are much more likely to occur where the truth is left unspoken or where facts are concealed." Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Going Solo: LaRue v. DeWolff - Summary: Individual 401k participants will finally have the right to sue plan administrators for fiduciary breaches if the plaintiff in a lawsuit currently pending before the Supreme Court of the United States prevails. Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

2008 Compliance Calendar Checklist for DB/DC/403(b) Plans - Summary: Certain provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 will require plan ­amendments. Plan amendments should be effective retroactively and will not violate anti-cutback rules if made on or before the last day of the plan year ­beginning on or after January 1, 2009 (or 2011 for governmental plans). Here is a checklist. Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Building a Better Plan Default Alternative - Summary: The new qualified default investment alternative (QDIA) regulations, which went into effect last month, answered many questions—but, as is often the case, "These regulations are like an artichoke; you keep peeling off layers and there's more underneath. Some of the layers have stickers on them as well," says Fred Reish. Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Is DC Plan Communication and Education Dead? - Summary: Now that plans can be automated to a large degree, do communication and education have roles to play? They do indeed. Getting workers into a 401k plan, increasing their savings rate, and improving their diversification through default mechanisms is not necessarily synonymous with financial security. Located at: Workforce Management (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Employer Ordered to Pay for Failing to Monitor Providers - Summary: The owner and operator of a Salem, New Hampshire, business has been ordered to pay $100,000 to the company's profit sharing plan over alleged violations of the ERISA. Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

To Roth or not to Roth 401k - Summary: Money Magazine's Walter Updegrave explains the pros and cons of a Roth 401k vs. a regular 401k. Located at: Money Magazine, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Spouse Beneficiary Rules - Summary: Under the original and final required minimum distribution regulations, the surviving spouse has always had special opportunities. The surviving spouse of a deceased participant may roll the funds into his or her own IRA or to a qualified plan, if the qualified plan accepts rollovers. Located at: McKay Hochman, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Portability Chart As Of 2008 - Summary: What are the rollover rules after the Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2008? Here is a chart that answers the question. Located at: McKay Hochman, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

IRS Proposes Regulations Regarding Automatic Contribution Arrangements - Summary: The two automatic contribution arrangements that the proposed regulations cover are "qualified automatic contribution arrangements" ("QACAs") and "eligible automatic contribution arrangements" ("EACAs"). This article focuses on the main issues addressed by the proposed regulations as they relate to QACAs and EACAs. Located at: Trucker Huss, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Legal Briefing on LaRue - Summary: The Supreme Court's consideration in LaRue v. DeWolff last fall may send shivers down the spines of retirement plan sponsors from coast to coast. At issue, according to legal experts, is whether an individual can sue to recover investment losses resulting from an administrative mistake and whether plans would have to pay real money to correct such mistakes. Located at: Employee Benefit News (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Automatic 401k Plans Capture Attention of Small, Midsize Employers - Summary: Automatic 401k plans continue to grow in the workplace, leading some small and midsize employers to consider adding automatic features - but not for the reasons some might think. Located at: Employee Benefit News (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Influences on Workers' Asset Allocations in Defined Contribution Accounts - Summary: The way that assets are allocated – either by the plan participant or through the investment strategy established by the sponsor – is an essential determinant of the success of workers covered by DC plans in accumulating the financial resources necessary for retirement. Located at: Watson Wyatt Worldwide, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Automatic Enrollment - Summary: An analysis of about 50 plans adopting automatic enrollment confirms that the feature does improve participation rates, particularly among low-income and younger employees. Located at: Vanguard Center for Retirement Research , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: The Math of Least Resistance - Summary: Improved disclosure to plan fiduciaries will have a meaningful impact on the investment oversight process, thus ultimately making a positive difference to participants. More disclosure at the participant level sounds good, but is not likely to help participants that don't take enough interest to read the disclosure available today. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Retirement Challenges Differ for Women - Summary: Planning is particularly vital for women because of the special challenges they face. For example: Women live longer than men – an average of seven years – so their retirement funds have to last longer. Located at: Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

GM Settles 401k Suit for $39 million, Report Says - Summary: General Motors has agreed to pay about $39 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by employees and retirees for claims involving company pension and retirement funds, according to people familiar with the deal, The Detroit News reported. Located at: Marketwatch.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DOL Cracking Down on 401k Oversight - Summary: The Department of Labor is has proposed levying fines of up to $1,000 a day against retirement plan administrators who fail to disclose certain documents to investors. Located at: Wolters Kluwer Financial, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Automatic 401k Plans Might Not Save Enough - Summary: Automatic 401k plan enrollment, advocated by lawmakers, regulators and financial-services firms, isn't helping many workers save adequately for retirement, according to recent research. Located at: Wallstreet Journal Online, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Pre-Nup Pact Not an ERISA Benefits Waiver - Summary: Because a 401k participant's widow had not yet married her husband when she signed a prenuptial agreement giving up her rights to her husband's retirement benefits, the widow was still entitled to the money. Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Target Date Fund Market Still in Need of Benchmark - Summary: There still is no generally accepted benchmark for the popular product category, Cerulli Associates points out in the December issue of its Cerulli Edge newsletter. Cerulli asserts that players in the target-date market vying for plan sponsors' attention will have to distinguish themselves more on the nature of how the asset allocation funds change over time - their "glide path." Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DB to DC Switch Lowered Retiree Replacement Income - Summary: New research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (CRR) suggests the change in the retirement landscape from predominately defined benefit plans to mostly defined contribution plan coverage has decreased both household pension wealth and retiree income replacement rates. Located at: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DC Business Seen Consolidating in 2008 - Summary: Consolidation in the business of managing and serving defined contribution plans is likely to pick up this year — and advisory firms could be part of the mix. Located at: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Special Report: Fee Disclosure, 401ks Highlight of Retirement Focus - Summary: In 2008, the retirement industry will see heightened scrutiny on fee disclosure and an anticipated increase in automatic enrollment in 401k plans. Located at: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Tepid Reception for Annuities as 401k Payouts - Summary: Although employers will soon have protection against being dragged into court on charges that they didn't select the 'safest' annuity available doesn't mean that they'll now embrace annuities as a distribution option. The problem is that too few of the 52 million people who have defined-contribution accounts want to put their retirement savings into annuities. Located at: Workforce Management (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Recent DOL Actions Increase Obligations of Service Providers - Summary: The Department of Labor has taken two significant steps toward increasing fee transparency in this area by proposing an amendment to its regulation concerning an ERISA prohibited transaction exemption applicable to the provision of services to a Plan, and increasing the information regarding service provider relationships to be included in the annual report filed by Plans. Located at: Goodwin Procter LLP , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Senator Tom Harkin Statement on 401k Fee Disclosure Act - Summary: This is a three page letter from Senator Tom Harkin to President Bush introducing his "Defined Contribution Fee Disclosure Act" and why it is necessary. Located at: ICMA-RC , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

IRS Proposes Regulations on Automatic Contribution Arrangements - Summary: The IRS has issued proposed regulations on automatic contribution arrangements under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA). The proposed regulations address the special 401k nondiscrimination test safe harbor for qualified automatic contribution arrangements. Located at: Watson Wyatt Worldwide, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DOL Finalizes Qualified Default Investment Alternative Regulation - Summary: The safe harbor generally allows three types of QDIAs: life-cycle or targeted-retirement-date funds, balanced funds and professionally managed accounts. The final regulation took effect December 24, 2007. Located at: Watson Wyatt Worldwide, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Essentials of Automatic Contribution Arrangements - Summary: Practitioners have struggled to understand the differences and similarities between and among the various automatic contribution arrangements. This is a one page comparison of the characteristics of the various arrangements. Located at: Sungard/Relius , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

The Role of Individual Retirement Accounts in US Retirement Planning - Summary: With the rising importance of individual retirement accounts, which now total one-quarter of US retirement assets, public policy has sharpened its focus on how individuals manage those accumulations through work and retirement years. Located at: Pension Research Council, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Fiduciary Focus: Providing Value to Sponsors of Retirement Plans - Summary: These safe harbors protect a plan sponsor against certain risks at the participant level of decision-making. While that's nice, it does nothing to reduce or mitigate the inherent risks at the plan level of decision-making. Yet it's at the plan level where an investment advisor to retirement plans can really provide significant value to plan sponsors. Located at: Morningstar.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Cross-tested Prototype Plans - Summary: Cross-tested plans will be available as prototype plans for the first time ever in 2008. In order to accommodate this, the IRS has created plan document language and rules for a cross-tested prototype. Located at: McKay Hochman, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Automatic Enrollment Update and QDIA Update - Summary: From the ACA to the QACA to the EACA, this article highlights some of the issues that have been raised in client calls to McKay Hochman. Located at: McKay Hochman, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Which QDIA is Best? - Summary: If you ask industry consultants what kind of effect qualified default investment alternatives will have on the investment advisory industry and retiring boomers, they'll use words like revolutionize. But if you ask which QDIA is best, they will tell you it depends on the type of plan, its participants, and what the advisor prefers. Located at: Investment Advisor Magazine, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Proposed Rules on Diversification Requirements for Certain Defined Contribution Plans - Summary: This document contains proposed IRS regulations under section 401(a)(35) of the Internal Revenue Code relating to diversification requirements for certain defined contribution plans and to publicly traded employer securities. These regulations will affect administrators of, employers maintaining, participants in, and beneficiaries of defined contribution plans that are invested in employer securities. Located at: Benefitslink.com , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

The 401k Fee Flimflam - Summary: Members of Congress, the Department of Labor, and financial experts say some companies that manage 401k plans are siphoning off billions in excessive fees. Because the fees are extracted before investment returns are reported, buried in "bundled services," or not disclosed at all, employers may not even be aware of the true costs of their plans, experts say. Located at: Yahoo Finance, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

PPA Boosting 401k Participation, Survey Concludes - Summary: The passage of the Pension Protection Act in 2006 has led to higher participation in 401k plans, in large part due to increased implementation of automatic plan features such as automatic enrollment, according to one survey. Located at: Workforce Management (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

A Better Way to Default - Summary: With automatic enrollment quickly becoming a standard, companies are looking for better returns on the default options they offer 401k participants who don't like to choose. Located at: Treasuryandrisk.com, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Towers Perrin U.S. Legislative Tracking Chart -- Retirement - Summary: This chart summarize selected federal legislation that would affect employer benefit programs. The bills included on the charts are based on judgments regarding the prominence of the issue, the likelihood of enactment, and the influence of the sponsors. Located at: Towers Perrin , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DOL Issues Final Regulations on QDIA - Summary: An overview. The final regulations relieve plan fiduciaries for liability from any loss that occurs as a result of investment in a QDIA, provided that the plan fiduciaries remain responsible for the prudent selection and monitoring of the QDIA. Located at: Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Exchange-Traded Fund Assets - Summary: The combined assets of the nation's exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were $572.12 billion in November, according to ICI. Located at: Investment Company Institute, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Trends In Mutual Fund Investing - Summary: The combined assets of the nation's mutual funds decreased by $226.97 billion, or 1.8 percent, to $12.076 trillion in November, according to the Investment Company Institute's official survey of the mutual fund industry. Located at: Investment Company Institute, January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Filling America's Empty Nest Eggs - The Crisis Nobody's Talking About - Summary: White Paper. The Australian authorities have managed to create a compact between employers and employees alike that "we're all in this together" and continually tweak the system to improve it based on their perception of retirement readiness among population cohorts. The country that perfected Democracy should be able to do at least as well. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com , January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

More 401k Fee Cases Are in the Works - Summary: The lawsuits put an intense spotlight on revenue-sharing practices of providers that receive money from investment managers. In the long run, they could place pressure on fees paid to managers and recordkeepers of 401k plans. Located at: Workforce Management (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Fee Litigation Scorecard - Summary: Table of where cases involving alleged unreasonable fees and other ERISA violations stood as of November 2007. Located at: Workforce Management (free registration may be required), January 2008. Click on headline for full article.

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