Plansponser Announces Results of 2009 DC Provider Survey - Summary: Plansponser's annual survey of defined contribution plans and ratings of providers finds, among other things, wide use of financial advisers, but also finds that the smaller your plan, the more likely you are to rely on a financial adviser. Source: Planadviser.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

401k Fees Might Be Made Clearer - Summary: Congress and the Department of Labor are working on legislation and regulation that would require employers to disclose more information about administration and management fees in an understandable way. And an independent website seems to be gaining traction as it aims to provide workers with company 401k plan ratings that include fee information. Source: Pittsburgh Tribune, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Firms Need to Prepare for More ERISA Lawsuits - Summary: Investment firms, retirement plan operators and their insurers should brace for more lawsuits filed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, experts say. Source: Businessinsurance.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Best of both worlds? Combined pension/401k plan - Summary: The DB(k) was created in the tax code in 2006. The law allows companies with fewer than 500 workers to start the hybrid plan after Jan. 1, 2010, and some proponents would like to see it available to all workers. Here are some questions and answers that explain details of the DB(k). Source: Google.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Best of both worlds? Combined pension/401k plan - Summary: The DB(k) was created in the tax code in 2006. The law allows companies with fewer than 500 workers to start the hybrid plan after Jan. 1, 2010, and some proponents would like to see it available to all workers. Here are some questions and answers that explain details of the DB(k). Source: Google.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

DB(k): New Pension Option For Small Biz - Summary: Small businesses will get a new retirement savings option in 2010 -- the DB(k). Adoption is expected to be slowed, however, by the sluggish economy and missing regulatory details. Source: Financial Advisor Magazine, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: Taking Roth 401k to the Next Level - Summary: Individuals saving for retirement in an employer-sponsored retirement plan should have the same tax diversification opportunities as individuals saving in an IRA. PSCA is taking action. They are working for changes that would permit Roth conversions within an employer plan. Source: Profit Sharing/401k Council of America Blog, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Insights from Annual Defined Contribution Survey - Summary: In one of the more challenging economic years in memory, it is not surprising that the pace of change set in motion in defined contribution plans by the Pension Protection Act slackened. If anything, it is remarkable that the adoption of devices such as automatic enrollment and contribution acceleration did not decline. Source: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Target-Date Funds Expected to Boom by 2018 - Summary: Total assets in target-date funds will grow to $2.6 trillion by 2018, attracting 80% of new and reallocated flows into defined contribution plans for the next decade, according to a projection in a recent Casey Quirk & Associates LLC report. Source: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Congress May Yank Investment Advice Provision from Pension Bill - Summary: Lawmakers in Washington are discussing scrapping the conflicted-advice provision of the 401k Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act of 2009, a move that would be welcomed by many in the financial services industry. Source: Workforce.com (free registration may be required), November 2009*. Click on headline to read full article.

Company Stock Can Be Source of Fiduciary Worry - Summary: Some sponsors view their company's stock as a way to allow employees to share in the firm's growth. Some plans may even be designed to provide a company match in the form of stock. But the recent spate of lawsuits raises the question: Should company stock be a cause of fiduciary worry for plan sponsors? Source: Vanguard, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: The Lake Wobegon 401k Plan - Summary: "Where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." This is Garrison Keillor's famous description of his fictional hometown, but superiority bias is applicable far beyond the shores of Lake Wobegon. It also permeates the world of 401k plans. Source: Capital Directions Blog, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: Target-Date Funds: What About Risk? - Summary: Pre-diversified portfolios, like target-date funds, have risk management as their reason for being. If investors were capable of building and maintaining a customized portfolio themselves or had access to professional advice to help them, target date funds might not be necessary. But keep in mind that these funds are primarily designed for investors who are either unable or unwilling to structure an appropriately designed portfolio for themselves. Source: fi360 Blog, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Fiduciary Q&A on the Status of Regulatory Reform - Summary: At a Market counsel conference this fall, Kristina Fausti, director of legal and regulatory affairs for fi360, took part in a roundtable on regulatory developments and the emergence of a harmonized fiduciary standard. One thing became apparent to her: Most advisors are still not clear on the issues. Here is her take on what is happening. Source: Financial-Planning.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Has Reversed the Dismissal of Wal-Mart 401k Fee Case - Summary: Keller Rohrback LLP announced that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and remanded a decision by the district court for the Western District of Missouri that had dismissed, in October of 2008, Plaintiff Jeremy Braden's ERISA class action lawsuit filed on behalf of a class of participants and beneficiaries of the Wal-Mart Profit Sharing and 401k Plan. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Study of Employee Benefits: 2009 & Beyond - Summary: Given the extraordinary challenges and the potential changes facing plan sponsors, the need for sound benefits strategy and planning has never been greater. Benefits professionals are playing an increasingly important role as plan sponsors seek expert advice and guidance on maintaining the competitiveness of their benefits programs while managing costs effectively. This study looks at these and other trends that will continue to shape the employee benefits landscape over the next five years. Source: Prudential , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Show Them the Value: A Companion Report to the Study of Employee Benefits: 2009 & Beyond - Summary: This companion report to the Study of Employee Benefits: 2009 & Beyond from Prudential provides quick access to the most salient findings as related to one of the main report's key themes: "Show Them the Value." This theme focuses on the importance of helping workers understand and appreciate the value of their employee benefits. Source: Prudential , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Recovering from a Wild Ride: How to Plot a Less Precipitous Path for Retirement Plans - Summary: Given what has happened in the markets, both employers and employees now recognize the increased importance of controlling risk. Plan design approaches that better balance surety and risk for both groups should be a key component of future plan design considerations. Source: Sibson Consulting, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

IRS Offers Insight on Recent Guidance Relating to Retirement Plan Distributions - Summary: Recently, the IRS hosted a phone forum during which IRS representatives discussed certain of the guidance issued this fall that relate to retirement plan distributions and addressed practitioner questions. This article summarizes the content of the IRS guidance, and, where applicable, highlights the comments made by IRS representatives during the recent phone forum. Source: Proskauer Rose LLP, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

401k Plans and Race - Summary: Data sources show a disparity among racial and ethnic groups regarding participation in and contributions to 401k plans. In this study, the first section documents the differentials in eligibility, participation, and contribution rate by race. The second section reports how the race variables are affected once demographic and plan variables are included. The third section concludes that while additional variables can eliminate the significance of race, all is not necessarily right with the world. Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Company Stock Holdings Continued to Shrink in 401k Accounts - Summary: According to the latest update of the EBRI/ICI 401k database, 401k participants continue to trim their investment in company stock, with this asset allocation category falling by nearly 1 percentage point (to an average of 9.7 percent) in 2008. Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Qualified Retirement Plans: End of Year Compliance Items - Summary: The Pension Protection Act of 2006 made several changes to the laws governing qualified retirement plans and requires documentary and operational changes to such plans by the end of the 2009 plan year. This article is a brief summary of each of those changes. Source: Bryan Cave LLP , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Fiduciary Duty: What's All the Fuss About? - Summary: In a sixty-second video seminar, Dow Jones Newswires Reporter Shelly Banjo explains what the so-called fiduciary standard entails and why this duty of care is being debated by investors, Congressmen and financial planning groups. Source: Wall Street Journal, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: Laying the Groundwork for a Big 2010 for Fiduciary Law - Summary: With the final month of 2009 fast approaching, 2010 is looking to be a big year in the fiduciary arena as regulators and legislators prepare to pass key regulations and legislation, and the high court delivers a key ruling and also considers whether to take up more fiduciary issues. Source: fi360 Blog, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

The Evolving Role of IRAs in US Retirement Planning - Summary: Americans are accumulating significant resources in IRAs through rollovers from employer-sponsored retirement plans and contributions. Trends in employer-sponsored retirement plans have fueled IRA growth. Source: Investment Company Institute , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Hardship Withdrawals Are Hard for Everyone - Summary: It's not just HR that hardship withdrawals and loans hurt. For the participant, it means a possible and often unexpected tax bill next year. For the plan Adviser, it means depleting the plan's assets. Source: Benefits Selling, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Recovery in 401k Balances - Summary: One of the questions posed following the 2008–2009 market decline was: How long will it take for 401k plan participants to recover the wealth they attained at the peak of global stock prices in October 2007? This new "Research Note" from Vanguard Center for Retirement Research provides an answer: For the median plan participant at Vanguard, recovery took about two years. The main reason—ongoing contributions. Source: Vanguard Center for Retirement Research , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

IRS's Retirement News for Employers -- Fall 2009 - Summary: This edition includes articles such as Roth & Roll: 2010 Roth IRAs & Rollovers; 5500 for 2009 and Later Required to be Filed Electronically; Establishing a SEP or SIMPLE IRA Plan; IRA Investments; New Web Tool for SARSEP Plans; and more. Source: IRS , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Sensible Transparency for Retirement Plans Act -- H.R. 4146 - Summary: This is the text of a new bill (H.R. 4146) that would amend title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to provide for disclosure regarding compensation for services to pension plans. Source: American Benefits Council , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

QDIA Notice Rules - Summary: Since issuing the final regulations detailing the QDIA notice requirements the DOL has published additional guidance. This article will outline the final QDIA notice rules, and additional guidance, and also provide links to related QDIA information. Source: McKay Hochman, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

403(b) Universal Availability - Summary: The universal availability requirement applies to all 403(b)s, except for church plans. The universal availability rule permits all the right to defer and thus does not favor HCEs; and because the ability to make deferrals is universally available, there is no ADP test. Source: McKay Hochman, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

The RIA/Broker Model: Way Station or Final Destination? - Summary: A group of panelists discuss the pros and cons of becoming a dually registered adviser. Source: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Target-Date's Pain is Target-Risk's Gain - Summary: A year ago, 401k plan sponsors were rushing to use target date funds as their qualified default investment alternative for employees. Now, many plans selecting a QDIA are considering a target risk fund instead. Source: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

DOL Retirement-Advice Rules Moving Forward - Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor is moving ahead with new rules concerning invest. advice for retirement-plan participants, as it scuttles controversial regulations issued under the Bush administration. The department's Employee Benefits Security Administration has submitted a proposal to the Office of Management and Budget and expects it to be published in the Federal Register soon, with a public comment period to follow. Source: Wall Street Journal, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Savvy Self-Employed and the Solo 401k - Summary: The Solo 401k is designed for the self-employed and offers powerful features not found in traditional 401k or IRA retirement plans and offers unique tax benefits to those who open an account before the New Year. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Target-Date Retirement Funds: The New Defined Contribution Battleground - Summary: Defined contribution schemes already are driving the innovations required for a second generation of target-date funds, one that addresses some of the faults revealed by the bear market. Plan sponsors are leading this product development, which not only will favor entirely new types of vendors, but also will reshape the defined contribution marketplace. This 24 page white paper reviews First Generation Target-Date Funds, Next Generation Target-Date Funds, and Winning Business in the New Target-Date Market. Source: Casey, Quirk & Associates , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Trends and Experience in 401k Plans 2009 - Summary: The 2009 Trends and Experience in 401k Plans survey results reveal emerging trends in 401k plan design and administration. Information on key aspects of 401k design, investments, education, communication, plan expenses, and plan success was collected from a cross-section of plan sponsors. Source: Hewitt Associates , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Checking the Right Box, Insight Into IRS Audits - Summary: The Internal Revenue Service recently published an updated list of common plan mistakes found during the agency's Employee Plans Team Audits and an internal controls questionnaire used by EPTA auditors. This is an overview of the material. Source: Employee Benefit News (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Relief on Contribution Changes Proposed for Safe Harbor 401k Plans - Summary: The Internal Revenue Service recently issued proposed regulations that may provide relief to plan sponsors that have been forced to look for ways to reduce costs by considering reducing or suspending employer contributions to their 401k plans. Source: Employee Benefit Adviser (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Loans from 401k Plans: How Many, How Large? - Summary: The latest update of the EBRI/ICI database shows that, at year-end 2008, less than one-fifth of participants had loans from their 401k plan. The average loan balance was down at the end of 2008 compared with year-end 2007. Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Labor Department Kills Bush Invest. Advice Rule - Summary: The Labor Department has officially killed a Bush administration rule that would have cleared the way for mutual fund companies to offer direct one-on-one invest. advice through their affiliates to defined contribution plan participants. Source: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Fidelity Reports Third Quarter 401k Trends - Summary: Fidelity Investments has made available 401k highlights of both employee and employer actions taken during the third quarter of 2009. The data is based on accounts of more than 11 million participants in the more than 17,000 corporate defined contribution plans that Fidelity recordkeeps. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Fiduciary Liabilities: Are You Covered? - Summary: With lawsuits piling up against pension plan sponsors, individual fiduciary would do well to protect themselves against financial risks, experts say. Source: CFO.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

401k Plans Need to Reach Out to Minorities - Summary: In a recent Webinar, Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments, said 401k plan sponsors should pay attention to the savings differences among minorities. Source: Planadviser.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Employee Benefits Costs Continue to Pressure Transportation CFOs - Summary: Nearly 69 percent of transportation CFOs and senior comptrollers responding to a survey by consulting firm Grant Thornton indicted that employee benefits — including health care and pensions — are putting the most pressure on their operating costs, emerging as a higher-visibility challenge even than energy costs and insurance costs, which were of concern to some 40 percent of respondents. Source: Supply & Demand Chain Executive, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

EBSA Further Delays Invest. Advice Rule - Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) announced Monday that it is giving itself until May 17, 2010, to develop a new version of its final invest. advice rule. Source: Planadviser.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Notices to Plan Participants Due by December 1st - Summary: Congress has created a slew of new notices that must be given to all participants in defined contribution plans at least 30 days before the beginning of each plan year. As December 1, 2009, approaches, each sponsor of a defined contribution plan that uses a calendar plan year should make sure that it is prepared to send participants each of the notices that applies to its particular type of plan. Source: Seyfarth Shaw LLP, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

2010 Regulatory Limits Poster and Compliance Calendar - Summary: This poster, compliments of Vanguard Strategic Retirement Consulting (SRC), is a convenient way to remind you of important regulatory limits and dates for retirement plans. SRC also has created a calendar that lists recurring compliance and notice requirements for qualified defined contribution plans. Source: Vanguard Strategic Retirement Consulting, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Keys to Effective Financial Education - Summary: Do financial education programs work? Plenty of well-informed people — from industry leaders to policymakers — are convinced you cannot turn a nation of consumers into a nation of intentional savers. But there is ample evidence for the opposite view. Source: Financial-planning.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

401k Uptake Linked to Employer-Sponsored Education - Summary: What motivates employees to participate in and contribute to voluntary savings plans? According to a new study in Economic Inquiry, the answer lies in how regularly their company holds retirement seminars. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

2009 End of Year Plan Sponsor "To Do" Lists - Summary: Seven "to do" lists that may require you to take action before the end of 2009 or in early 2010. Many of the action items are a result of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and may require plan amendments. Source: Snell & Wilmer LLP, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Plan Action Required: IRS Issues Updated Safe Harbor Rollover Notices - Summary: The Internal Revenue Service recently issued (in IRS Notice 2009-68) two updated model rollover notices for use by plan administrators. The new notices update the previously issued "safe harbor" notices to reflect changes in the law and are written in a more reader-friendly manner to make it easier for recipients to understand. Source: Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Required Minimum Distributions in 2009: What the IRS Forgot to Mention - Summary: This article provides the "simplest" approach to dealing with the temporary waiver of the required minimum distribution (RMD) rules and recent IRS guidance on the issue. Source: BNA/Tax Management, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

One Way to Break Into the 401k Market - Summary: Mention 401k to financial advisers and most will say that they lack the knowledge, resources and time to compete with the relative handful of those who specialize in retirement plan sales. But you can turn this perceived weakness into a strength. Source: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

403(b) Plan Compliance Checklist - Summary: This is a checklist to help determine if your ERISA-covered 403(b) plan is in compliance, and where your exposure may lie in the event of an audit. Source: Diversified Investment Advisors , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Retirement-Product Moves Accompany Reform Drive - Summary: Financial services firms are urging Congress to adopt retirement savings reforms in the next few years and are readying products that could profit from them. Source: Bank Investment Consultant, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Retirement Income: The Axiomatic Case for Annuities - Summary: This is the second in a series of articles on the broad issue of retirement income. In this article JP Morgan lays out the "axiomatic" case for annuities as the investment instrument for providing retirement income. Source: JP Morgan, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Many Workers Will Outlive Retirement Savings - Summary: Although the recent economic downturn has forced pre-retirees ages 50 to 59 to consider working years longer than they had hoped, their current rate of savings is unlikely to fund the retirement lifestyles. Source: Onwallstreet.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

The DOL Issues New FAQ on Credentials; EFAST2 - Summary: The article revisits the issue of filing signer credentials. The issue continues to provoke discussion among 5500 preparers because of their concerns regarding the employer's ability to navigate the process for obtaining filing signer credentials. Source: Sungard/Relius, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: Broker-Dealers and Other Non-Fiduciaries as Fiduciaries? (Part 2) - Summary: The ultimate outcome of the great wrestling match among the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, and various powerful financial services interest groups as to whether broker-dealers will be turned into fiduciaries and, if so, what kind of fiduciary standard they will have to live up to is not yet known. Source: Morningstar.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: Time to Focus on Target-Date Fund Reform - Summary: Rather than focusing on past deficiencies in target-date funds, the Senate Special Committee on Aging's recent hearing on the funds focused on how they can be turned around quickly. However, the hearings should serve as notice to all fiduciaries involved — retirement plan sponsors, investment advisers to the plans, fund managers and mutual fund boards — that they are perceived by regulators as the sources of problems with target-date funds and will be held accountable to fix them. Source: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Steady Investing Pays Off for Most With 401k - Summary: Nearly About 60 percent of all participants in 401k and other defined-contribution plans who continued to contribute throughout the two-year period ending in September 2009 had as much in their accounts—or more—as they did in September 2007, when the stock market was closing in on a historic high. Source: AARP, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Retirement is Biggest Investing Goal - Summary: Nearly 70% of men and women in a recent poll said they are in the markets as a way to save for their retirement, while about half of both genders said they are more generally trying to build a financial nest egg. Source: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Why Are Stocks So Risky? - Summary: This paper analyzes the risk in stocks, partitioning it into two components. The first reflects the growth of economic activity and corporate earnings. The second reflects the way investors value those earnings. This analysis finds that variations in business activity and profits – the first component – account for a relatively small share of the risk in stocks over holding periods as long as 10 years. Instead, variations in shareholders' valuation of earnings account for most of the volatility of returns. Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Caterpillar Suit Could Lower 401k Fees - Summary: If a federal judge and independent fiduciary approve the deal the parties struck, Caterpillar will pay $16.5 million to settle the case. More importantly, it has agreed to make changes to its 401k plan that could potentially save employees millions of dollars. More important still, it may set a precedent for other companies to follow. Source: Forbes, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Approaching 403(b) Plan Document Deadline - Summary: Employers that allow employees to contribute to 403(b) plans and arrangements need to adopt a plan document by December 31, 2009 if they have not already done so. Those with a plan should contact their retirement providers to ensure their 403(b) plan documents comply with the plan document requirement and changes in the law. Source: Dorsey & Whitney LLP, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

A Study of 401k Savings Disparities Across Racial and Ethnic Groups - Summary: Significant differences can be found across race and ethnicity in the way U.S. employees save and invest in their 401k plans, according to this study -- the largest, most comprehensive examination of 401k saving and investing behaviors of African-American, Hispanic, Asian and white employees. Source: Ariel Investments , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Texting Can Boost Participant Savings - Summary: A new study by a group of economists looking at why people save money found that sending out text reminders to participants' cell phones increased savings balances by 6%. Source: Plansponsor.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

An Update on 401k Plans: Insights from the 2007 Survey of Consumer Finance - Summary: Given the collapse of the financial markets and the economy, this paper uses the 2007 SCF data as a starting point in evaluating the condition of 401ks and the factors that affect participation and contributions, and relies on more recent data and estimates to paint a full and current picture. Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Fees and Trading Costs of Equity Mutual Funds in 401k Plans and Potential Savings from ETFS and Commingled Trusts - Summary: As the role of 401k and similar defined-contribution plans continues to expand in our retirement system, participants in these plans are paying more of the cost of financing their retirement income. This study examines the fees and trading costs for domestic equity mutual funds held in DC plans and compares them to ETFs or commingled trusts that hold ETFs. Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Effective Communication Can Drive Employee Engagement - Summary: In a business environment that remains tumultuous, companies with highly effective internal communication programs are better placed to keep employees engaged and retain key talent, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Financial Literacy - Why It Matters to You and Your Employees - Summary: If many of your workers are struggling to concentrate on the job at hand and functioning at less than optimum capacity, the damage to personal lives and business productivity is a serious one. But you as Plan Sponsor are in the unique position of being able to address these issues for your employees. Source: Lovejoy Associates, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: Target-Date Fund Shortfalls Not the Reason Americans Face Retirement Crisis - Summary: There is certainly room for improvement in the design, transparency, disclosure, education, and fees associated with target date funds. However, the differences in target date funds' glide paths, and even their inability to fully shelter investors from the near collapse of the U.S. financial system, are not the primary reasons that the typical American household is facing a significant retirement income shortfall. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Specific Corporate Compliance Challenges: ERISA - Summary: Provides a general overview of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and discusses best practices for fiduciary compliance, ERISA litigation and risk management, and ERISA reporting and disclosure requirements. Source: Seyfarth Shaw LLP , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Cat Settles 401k Fee Lawsuit for $16.5 Million - Summary: Caterpillar and the law firm of Schlichter, Bogard & Denton today announced they have reached a tentative settlement of Martin, et al. v. Caterpillar Inc. The case involves a dispute over the administration of four 401k plans for Caterpillar employees and retirees. Source: Caterpillar Inc. , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Future Taxes Make 401k Less Advantageous - Summary: The expectation of higher taxes is taking some of the shine off 401k plans, and has savers looking for more post-tax options. Source: Wall Street Journal, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Employers Strike Out Supporting Employee's Needs on 401k Plans - Summary: One in five employees indicate they are dissatisfied with the current support they receive from their employer on 401k plan, according to a new national study released this week. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

403(b) Prototype Likely to Allow for Vesting Schedules - Summary: The Internal Revenue Service is reportedly working on a final revenue procedure for Section 403(b) prototype plans that takes into account comments received including allowing for vesting of employer contributions. Source: Planadviser.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

An Interview with Fred Reish - Summary: Fred Reish is a shareholder of the law firm of Reish & Reicher. He specializes in employee benefits law and has been engaged to serve as an expert witness in state courts, federal courts and FINRA arbitration proceedings involving issues as diverse as fiduciary liability, fiduciary status of advisers, prohibited transactions and plan interpretation. Source: Brightscope.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

America's 50-Somethings in a State of Denial When it Comes to Retirement Savings - Summary: When it comes to their retirement, America's 50-somethings seem to be in a state of denial. Although the recent economic downturn has forced pre-retirees ages 50 to 59 to consider working years longer than they had hoped, their current rate of savings is unlikely to fund the retirement lifestyles they expect, according to fifth annual Retirement Fitness Survey from Wells Fargo & Company. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Towers Perrin Retirement and Executive Compensation Legislative Tracking Chart - Summary: Thousands of bills are introduced in Congress but only a select few are summarized on this chart. This selection represents Towers Perrin's best judgment on the likelihood of enactment and the relevance to retirement and executive compensation. Source: Towers Perrin , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

401k Plans Making Comeback - Summary: Most investors with a 401k retirement plan or its virtual twin, the 403(b), have shown nice gains since spring. Nationally, the average account balance for 401k participants ages 25 to 34 who have been with their employer for one to four years, rose 28.3 percent from March 9 to Oct. 27. Source: Inforum.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Half of Laid-Off Workers Raid 401ks - Summary: Almost half of laid-off workers succumbed to the temptation of spending their retirement stash last year. Some 46 percent of retirement savers who left their job in 2008 cashed out their 401k, according to a new Hewitt Associates study of 170,000 401k participants who terminated employment last year. Source: U.S. News & World Report, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Service Requirements for Joining 401k Easing - Summary: Employers are improving access to their 401k plans, according to a survey released Wednesday. Source: Businessinsurance.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Retirement Plan Participation Showed Small Declines in 2008 - Summary: Participation in employment-based retirement plans decreased by small amounts for most categories of workers in 2008, but those with the strongest connection to the work force experienced the smallest decline: 0.5 percentage point, according to a study released today by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute. Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

401k Asset Allocation and Participant Age in 2008 - Summary: The latest update of the EBRI/ICI 401k database shows that at year-end 2008, as in previous years, participants' asset allocation varied considerably with age. Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Financial Services Committee Approves Investor Protection Act - Summary: The House Financial Services Committee passed H.R. 3817, the Investor Protection Act, by a vote of 41-28. The legislation is part of a broader effort to modernize America's financial regulatory system. Source: House Financial Services Committee, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Automation, Low-Cost Investment Options and Investment Advice Becoming Standard Features in 401k Plans - Summary: A new survey by Hewitt Associates shows employers continue to design their 401k plans in a way that encourages positive saving and investing behaviors and helps employees meet their increasing retirement income needs. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Drastic 401k Reform Unlikely, Expert Says - Summary: Within the past year or so, a major overhaul of the 401k system has seemed quite possible. But such calls have not won over the bulk of Democratic lawmakers or President Obama, a legal expert says. Source: Workforce.com (free registration may be required), November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Putnam CEO Calls for 2010 to Be the Year of Retirement Reform - Summary: While 2009 has been the year of healthcare reform in Washington, Putnam Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Robert L. Reynolds called for 2010 to be the year when major retirement reform is finally enacted to make possible a new generation of workplace savings plans that generate more dependable sources of lifetime income. Source: 401khelpcenter.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Fiduciary Debate Lands at Supreme Court - Summary: The debate over investment advisors' fiduciary duty has made it all the way to the Supreme Court. On Monday, November 2, Supreme Court Justices heard oral arguments from lawyers for three investors who claimed that Harris Associates of Chicago, the investment advisor for the Oakmark family of mutual funds, charged them higher fees for similar services than it did to independent institutional investors such as pension funds. Source: Investmentadvisor.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Target-Date Funds Survey - Summary: This is the published reults of a recent survey conducted be PSCA on target-date funds. PSCA received 397 responses from plan sponsors. 54.8 percent of responding companies have more than 1,000 participants. Source: Profit Sharing/401k Council of America , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

IRS Retirement and Savings Initiatives - Summary: In a recent flurry of activity, the Internal Revenue Service has issued a series of notices and revenue rulings designed to promote retirement savings and address technical issues related to certain plan distributions. Source: Dechert LLP , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Auto-Enrollment Increases; Other Plan Features Stay Steady - Summary: The recent economic turmoil brought great change to the markets, but a recent survey by a defined contribution plan consultant indicates most of its clients and prospects came through the ordeal without undergoing enormous alterations to their retirement plans. Source: Planadviser.com, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: DC and DB Plans - Nothing is Risk Free - Summary: DC plans, like the 401k and DB pension plans, are like apples and oranges, both good for you but very different. Both types of plans have risks for participants. The primary difference is that in a DC plan individuals can take action to manage those risks and react to changing conditions. In DB plans individuals are subject to risks over which they have no control. Source: Profit Sharing/401k Council of America, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Does Your Qualified Retirement Plan Need to Be Amended This Year? - Summary: This advisory is to remind plan sponsors of deadlines for amending qualified retirement plans. Some amendments must be completed by December 31, 2009. Others must be completed by January 31, 2010. Still others must be completed by the deadline for filing the plan sponsor's 2009 tax return. This advisory identifies those plans that must be amended now or in the near future. Source: Alston & Bird LLP , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Target-Date Retirement Funds: The New Defined Contribution Battleground - Summary: Defined contribution schemes already are driving the innovations required for a second generation of target-date funds, one that addresses some of the faults revealed by the bear market. Plan sponsors are leading this product development, which not only will favor entirely new types of vendors, but also will reshape the defined contribution marketplace. Source: Casey, Quirk & Associates , November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Supreme Court Considers Mutual Fund Fees - Summary: In an era of rebellion against Wall Street pay, the Supreme Court hears arguments in a case testing whether some mutual funds are charging excessive fees. Source: National Public Radio, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

COMMENTARY: Wish List for Better 401k - Summary: The author writes, "...I'm not in the camp who believe we should chuck the 401k completely. Here is my wish list for an improved 401k." Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

Solo 401k Offers Big Tax Savings For Self-Employed - Summary: How would you like to put away almost $50,000 in your own 401k plan? Well, if you're self-employed, you should check out the solo 401k. It provides opportunities for large retirement plan contributions, and there's still time to open one for 2009.How would you like to put away almost $50,000 in your own 401k plan? Well, if you're self-employed, you should check out the solo 401k. It provides opportunities for large retirement plan contributions, and there's still time to open one for 2009. Source: CBS Money Watch, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

401k's Getting Little Respect, at Least for Now - Summary: In light of recent downturns, some financial experts have declared that 401k's are a poor way to save for retirement, partly because market volatility can make them so vulnerable. Source: New York Times, November 2009. Click on headline to read full article.

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