403(b) Action Plan Workbook - Summary: To assist plan sponsors and financial advisers Benefit Plans Plus offers complementary 403(b) Action Plan Workbook to serve as in initial reference guide and information source to work toward IRS compliance. Located at: Benefits Plans Plus , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Fiduciary Compliance Reviews for DC Plans - Summary: A fiduciary compliance review is not the same as an annual ERISA audit. This white paper explores some of the aspects of the review and some areas it should focus on. Located at: Milliman , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Disclosure to Help Meet Fiduciary Responsibilities - Summary: This white paper explores the disclosure efforts by the federal government over the last decade, reviews some of the currently pending proposals, and offers some insights for the future. Located at: Milliman , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Determining the Individual's Taxable Year for 402(g) Limit - Summary: An answer to this question, "I understand that Code Section 402(g) limits elective deferrals based on the taxable year which for most individuals is the calendar year. Can you provide a cite?" Located at: Benefitslink.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Joint Life Expectancy and the Retirement Distribution Period - Summary: This paper will explore the implications of using joint life expectancy versus a fixed period (30 years) when determining the appropriate initial sustainable real withdrawal rate. A simple methodology to determine an appropriate distribution period, based on target end date, will also be introduced. Located at: Journal of Financial Planning, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

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

Employees Choosing Safer 401k Investments - Summary: Employees are reacting to the recent declines in the stock market by moving 401k plan assets into less risky investment funds, according to a recent analysis by Hewitt Associates. Located at: CCH, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Why Are Advisors Going Independent? - Summary: A 2007 white paper that explains why many successful advisors are starting or joining independent firms. Located at: Schwab Institutional , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

IRS to Open Pre-Approved Program for 403(b)s - Summary: The IRS's Employee Plans unit intends to open a pre-approved program for vendors of prototype 403(b) plans, EP Tax Law Specialist Robert Architect announced on December 4, 2008, in an IRS phone forum. Located at: CCH, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Lawyers Cite Need for Diversified Plans, Sound Options, & Low Fees - Summary: Fiduciaries of 401k plans should offer a variety of well-diversified investment options, but providing too many options can cause participant confusion and in some cases may prevent employees from opting to participate in the plan, according to panelists speaking at the American Bar Association's annual meeting. Located at: Insurance News Net, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Companies Move Toward Faster Eligibility for Retirement Plans - Summary: Profit Sharing/401k Council of America research shows a dramatic change over time to employee eligibility requirements for company-sponsored retirement plans. Located at: Planadviser.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

2008 401k Plan Eligibility Survey - Summary: This snapshot survey investigates eligibility practices of 531 profit sharing, 401k, and combination plans. Located at: Profit Sharing/401k Council of America , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

In Trying Times, HR Must 'Step Up to the Plate' - Summary: With the United States entering year two of a recession and companies facing massive layoffs nationwide, businesses are looking within their HR departments for all kinds of assistance—and not just the administrative kind. Located at: Society for Human Resource Management, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Congress Asks Bush to Help Seniors on 401k Withdrawals - Summary: Regarding 2008 RMDs, dozens of Republican and Democratic members of Congress are asking the President to help senior citizens whose retirement savings plans have been hit by market losses this year. Located at: Washington Post (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

List of Companies Who Have Changed Their 401k Match - Summary: This is a list of employers that have announced plans to change or stop making matching contributions to their employees' 401k plan accounts since June 2008. Located at: Pension Rights Center, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Fiduciary Responsibility and ETIs: A Conflict? - Summary: The DOL recently issued Interpretive Bulletin 08-1, which warns plan fiduciaries against selecting investments to promote public policy preferences. The notice specifically addresses economically targeted investments (ETIs), which create economic benefits apart from their investment return. Located at: Watson Wyatt, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

The Retirement Income Landscape - Summary: The report analyzes conventional strategies as well as innovative ways to translate lump-sum savings into a stream of income in retirement—from systematic withdrawal plans and income annuities to payout funds and living benefit annuities. The report also underscores the importance of striking a balance among risk, return, and cost when choosing retirement income solutions. Located at: Vanguard Center for Retirement Research , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

FAQs on Fiduciary Liability Insurance - Summary: This Benefit Briefing will provide you with answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help you decide whether you should purchase fiduciary liability insurance. Located at: Retirement Plan Blog , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Defined Contribution Plan Distribution Choices at Retirement - Summary: Research on DC plan participants largely has focused on participants' decision making during their working years and on lump-sum distributions from pensions. Only relatively recently has attention turned to analyzing pension distribution decisions made by participants at retirement. Located at: Investment Company Institute , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Plan Cash Equivalent Options - Summary: As the credit crisis grinds on, issues in the money markets and Fed policy are forcing 401k Plan fiduciaries to consider their responsibilities to participants with regard to providing a safe, cash equivalent type of investment option. Located at: Fiduciary Investor Blog, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

It's Time for Guaranteed Income - Summary: Recent or soon-to-be retirees dependent on 401k savings are among the casualties of the current financial crisis. Not many DC plans offer annuities, but how might access to guaranteed income have changed participants' prospects for a secure retirement? Located at: Pension Research Council , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Three DC rules Face Ticking Clock - Summary: Three key defined contribution proposed regulations could be in jeopardy because the Department of Labor failed to win White House approval far enough ahead of the change in presidential administrations, pension industry lobbyists and attorneys said. Located at: PIonline.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

In Need of Cash, More Companies Cut 401k Match - Summary: Companies eager to conserve cash are trimming their contributions to their workers' 401k retirement plans, putting a new strain on America's tattered safety net at the very moment when many workers are watching their accounts plummet along with the stock market. Located at: New York Times, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

The Successful Retirement Advisor - Summary: Although done in 2006, this white paper will provide advisors some insight into what plan sponsors are thinking and what today's plan sponsors both expect and demand from their advisors. Located at: MassMutual Center for Behavioral Research , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Retirement Saving in Wake of Financial Market Volatility - Summary: This white paper summarizes results from two surveys conducted by the Investment Company Institute in the past few months. With recent financial market volatility and millions of households personally directing their retirement savings, ICI sought to get a sense of retirement savers' reactions to the current market conditions. Located at: Investment Company Institute , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: 401k Plans: Staying the Course in Turbulent Times - Summary: Paul Schott Stevens, President and CEO of the Investment Company Institute, discussed proposals to modify America's retirement saving system and unveiled new research on Americans' attitudes toward 401ks and responses to current market conditions before the National Press Club. Located at: Investment Company Institute, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

IRS Issues Winter 2009 Employee Plans News - Summary: The IRS newsletter includes an interview with Joyce Kahn, Manager, Voluntary Compliance, tips on filing a better Determination Letter application as well as other information. Located at: IRS , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Don't Scrap 401ks, ICI President Says - Summary: The mutual fund industry attempted to make a preemptive strike against congressional efforts to reduce tax breaks for 401k plans or to make major changes in the system. Located at: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Plan Asset Allocation, Account Balances, and Loan Activity in 2007 - Summary: This report is an update of EBRI and ICI's ongoing research into 401k plan participants' activity through year-end 2007 (published December 2008). The report is divided into four sections: The first describes the EBRI/ICI 401k database; the second presents a snapshot of participant account balances at year-end 2007; the third looks at participants' asset allocations, including a new analysis of 401k participants' use of lifecycle funds; and the fourth focuses on participants' 401k loan activity. Located at: Investment Company Institute , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Who are the 401k Industry's Most Influential? - Summary: Time to vote for the 2009 Nominees. Influence can flow from the financial resources to buy a competitor or create and market a new product. It can stem from a new idea that is -- or will be -- widely adopted, or from authoring legislation that changes the industry. It can also be as simple as holding the respect of one's peers so one's ideas can be widely spread and acted upon. Located at: 401kwire.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: ASPPA Responds to Wall Street Journal - Summary: ASPPA responded to an article about 401k plans ("How to Fix 401ks," December 14, 2008) in The Wall Street Journal. Located at: ASPPA , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Don't Throw 401k Baby Out With the Bathwater - Summary: The author writes, "That AARP would even take seriously the notion of replacing stocks with bonds in 401k plans ("401k Plans: Too Risky for Retirement Security?") reflects the woeful state of innumeracy in this country." Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Recession Forcing HR Program Changes - Summary: The number of companies implementing cost-cutting measures, including layoffs, hiring and salary freezes and smaller pay raises, has risen sharply in just two months, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Retirement in Crisis - Summary: There is no question that in today's economic climate, lots of people have lots of different questions. Got clients asking questions? Here are some answers you might consider. Located at: Webcpa.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Plans: Too Risky for Retirement Security? - Summary: As the nation's economic troubles deepen, the most popular retirement savings plan for American workers is coming under increasing scrutiny for its inability to weather the current financial storm. The question is, will it remain viable for the future? Located at: AARP, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

EBRI/ICI Study: 7 Percent of 401k Assets in Lifecycle Funds - Summary: The findings being released today are part of the annual update of the EBRI/ICI 401k database, the largest of its kind. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

New Survey Fills the Gap in 403(b) Benchmarking Data - Summary: PSCA has released their 2008 403(b) Plan Survey. This new survey is the first of its kind, providing comprehensive information on 403(b) plan practices. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

403(b) Plans Technical Questions and Answers - Summary: The SPARK Institute received a significant number of questions regarding the Best Practices from companies that are actively developing systems to follow them. They have prepared this 403(b) Plans Technical Questions and Answers to address many of the questions. Located at: SPARK Institute, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DOL Finalizes Fiduciary Safe Harbor on Selection of Annuity Providers - Summary: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has finalized regulations establishing a safe harbor for the selection of an annuity provider and purchase of annuity contracts for defined contribution (DC) plans. Located at: Watson Wyatt, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Procedural Prudence Enables Fiduciaries to Avoid Liability - Summary: In a potentially significant fee litigation case, a federal trial court ruled that plan sponsors and other plan fiduciaries were not subject to liability under ERISA for paying allegedly excessive fees to a mutual fund or maintaining under performing investment options where they were able to document that their decisions were the function of procedural prudence. Located at: CCH, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Retirement Account Reforms: Good and Bad - Summary: Congress and President-elect Obama are considering changes to 401ks and other retirement accounts in response to the market turmoil. Which proposals are good ideas to improve retirement savings, and which would make matters worse? Located at: National Center for Policy Analysis , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Assets in Stable Value Reach Historical High - Summary: A lay persons review of how 401k plans work and what you need to know. Located at: Planadviser.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401ks: What You Need to Know - Summary: A lay persons review of how 401k plans work and what you need to know. Located at: New York Times, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Plan Sponsors Finalize 403(b) Changes - Summary: The new rules will make 403(b) plans similar, but not identical to 401ks. Sorting out those differences can be very frustrating for plan sponsors, particularly for school districts that did not previously have this responsibility. Located at: Financial-Planning.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Social Media Can Improve 401k Participation Rates - Summary: How did Best Buy increased 401k participation by 30%? With a contest. They asked employees throughout the retail chain to submit motivating videos that would help increase overall 401k participation. Located at: HRmarketer Blog, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

MRD Relief – What it Means - Summary: If you administer a defined contribution retirement plan you may have many retirees who have a problem between now and December 31. This article talks about what MRD relief means and why it is important to your retirees. Located at: Alston & Bird LLP , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Soothing Panicky 401k Participants - Summary: Financial planners say they have been fielding a noticeable increase in calls from 401k participants seeking loans or hardship withdrawals from their plans, or just plain reassurance. Education and communication can help soothe panicky 401k participants. Located at: HREonline.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Advantages and Disadvantages of DC Designs - Summary: This article looks at some of the pros and cons of different designs by considering situations where a sponsor likely would or would not use a particular type of defined contribution plan. Located at: JPMorgan Chase, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

IRS Provides Relief for Sponsors of 403(b) Plans - Summary: This relief suggests that plan sponsors that have adopted either new or revised plan documents in anticipation of the new guidance can correct those documents in 2009. For plan sponsors that have not yet met the plan document requirement, the Notice allows them extra time to implement the plan document, provided that they otherwise make a good faith effort to comply with the final 403(b) regulations. Located at: McDermott Will & Emery, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Trading Restrictions Old Fix...New Fault - Summary: Could excessive trading rules, which often limit a participant's ability to execute roundtrip trades within a 90 day period even in the context of a normal, well disciplined rebalancing protocol, be unreasonable in today's volatile investment environment? Located at: Fiduciary Investor Blog, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

How Gender, Age Affect Retirement Plan Participation - Summary: How do gender and age affect the likelihood that you will participate in a retirement plan? Located at: Employee Benefit Research Institute , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

EBSA Issues Field Guidance on ERISA Fidelity Bonding Requirements - Summary: The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has issued Field Assistance Bulletin 2008-04 that provides guidance on fidelity bonding requirements under ERISA. Located at: CCH, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Chaos Theory - Summary: A practical explanation of the credit crisis—how we ended up in the current economic situation and where we can go from here. Located at: Buck Consultants , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

How to Fix 401k - Summary: Has the 401k failed? In the wake of the stock-market meltdown, that question is on the minds of a growing number of policy makers, academics and corporate leaders -- not to mention the account holders staring in disbelief at their quarterly statements. Located at: Wall Street Journal Online, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

IRS Provides 403(b) Relief: Notice 2009-3 - Summary: This notice provides relief during 2009 for sponsors of 403(b) plans with respect to the requirement to have a written 403(b) plan in place by January 1, 2009. This notice also briefly describes other programs the IRS intends to establish relating to 403(b) plans. Located at: IRS , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Plan Participants Respond to Market Declines by Choosing Safer Investments - Summary: Some workers are reacting to the market volatility by moving their 401k assets into less risky investment funds. Furthermore, the tight economic times are prompting more employees to tap into their retirement savings in the form of hardship withdrawals. Located at: CCH, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Looking for Control in an Out-of-Control World - Summary: Maintaining control in what appears to be an out-of-control environment is the biggest challenge facing investment committees today. But, this is an ideal time for an investment committee to review, tighten policies and revisit objectives. Suggested starting places are given. Located at: Vanguard, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Helping 401k Participants Stay the Course in Tough Markets - Summary: From a recent study it appears that participants have largely stayed the course. However, one question that should be asked may not bring such encouraging news: Have participants changed their asset allocation? Located at: Capital Directions Investment Advisors, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

403(b)/401k Comparison Chart - Summary: This is a chart that compares code §403(b) with code §401k plans. Located at: McKay Hochman, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Plans Move Away From Employer Stock - Summary: Increasingly, employees are given the option to choose how their 401k plan funds are invested; this greater choice is one factor in the decreased exposure to investment in employer stock. Located at: US Bureau of Labor Statistics , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

More Employers Halt 401k Matches as Recession Hits - Summary: While the vast majority of companies likely will resume their corporate matches when the economy improves, some, like Ford, may do so with lower contributions, benefit consultants say. Located at: Workforce.com (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Schwab Releases Summary of Recent 401k Plan Participant Behavior - Summary: Schwab recently released information about retirement plan participant behavior to help employers better understand how their employees are approaching their 401k plans in the current market and economic environment. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Survey Finds Employees Committed to Saving for Retirement - Summary: Employees participating in retirement savings plans, such as a company-sponsored 401k, remain committed to saving for retirement despite current and future concerns about the economy, according to the latest findings from the annual Mercer Workplace Survey. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: A Strategic Argument for Phased Retirement - Summary: Author asks, "Why should employers care about the social good of phased retirement—especially in today's down turned economy, when getting expensive workers off the books is a matter of some urgency for many organizations? It's simple: Phased retirement is good for business." Located at: Workforce.com (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Retirement Future Shelved by Economic Uncertainty - Summary: At the start of this year, fully 46% of our financial advisor respondents said their clients were still on track to a timely retirement. By the end of the year advisors and their clients had a much bleaker picture of retirement. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

More Firms Quit the 401k Match Game - Summary: Under cost pressure, Vail Resorts, Station Casinos, and Intermountain Healthcare join a growing list of companies suspending payments equal to employee contributions. Located at: CFO.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Fee Transparency: 2009 Schedule C - Summary: There are three pieces of DOL guidance that plan sponsors should have on their list of "to dos." Two are in the form of proposed guidance with the third in final form. This ErisaALERT is the third and final in a series dealing with the guidance and their implications for plan sponsors. Located at: ERISAdiagnostics.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Companies Rethinking Company Stock in 401k - Summary: Given the dramatic dive in the U.S. equity markets this year—and the ever-present risk of being slapped with a stock-drop lawsuit during a downturn—companies are looking for ways to protect both themselves and their workers from too much exposure to company stock in 401k plans. Located at: Financialweek.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Congress to Probe Labor Department Regulations - Summary: The next Congress will scrutinize a Department of Labor proposal that permits advisers affiliated with an in-house money management unit to recommend whatever products they want, including mutual funds with high management fees, to 401k participants. Located at: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Managing Accountability - Summary: Investment advisors to sponsors of qualified retirement plans such as 401k plans might wish to adapt some of the material in this column for use when marketing to other plan sponsors. Located at: Prudent Investor Advisors , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Price Cuts Coming to 401k Fees - Summary: In an effort to maintain a tight grip on retirement assets, some major 401k providers — including The Charles Schwab Corp. — are considering lowering the investment management fees they charge to employers. Located at: Investmentnews.com (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

The Economics of Providing 401k Plans - Summary: 401k plans are now the most common private-sector employer-sponsored retirement plan in the United States. Employers choose whether to offer these plans to employees as part of their total compensation packages; employees choose whether or not to participate. The creation and maintenance of a 401k plan involve a variety of services, and the costs of these services are generally shared by the plan sponsor and the plan participants. This is a 24 page report on 401k plan services, fees, and expenses. Located at: Investment Company Institute , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Pension Plans Start To Suffer Under Economic Downturn - Summary: Unless some changes are made during the current economic crisis, many defined benefit plans could be frozen, placing participants at additional financial risk, according to experts at Watson Wyatt. Located at: CCH, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Experts Wary of Plan to Ease Withdrawals - Summary: President-elect Barack Obama's proposal to temporarily ease rules on hardship withdrawals from 401k and other retirement plans elicits cautious and even negative reactions from local and national experts. Located at: HispanicBusiness.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Should the 401k Be Killed? - Summary: Teresa Ghilarducci has always had more interesting — and controversial — things to say than your average retirement-policy wonk. But she didn't think she was courting controversy with her testimony before the House Committee on Education and Labor. Located at: Time, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Participants Calmer Than You'd Think Amid Market Turmoil - Summary: The Vanguard Center for Retirement Research (CRR) examined recent transactions and other activities in plans "recordkept" by Vanguard for nearly 3.5 million active and deferred participants in approximately 2,200 defined contribution plans. The findings show a different picture of participant behavior than recent media reports do, in three key areas. Located at: Vanguard, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DOL Issues Field Guidance on ERISA Bonding Requirement - Summary: The guidance, in the form of 42 Q-and-A's, reflects DOL's existing regulations, its responses to field and other inquiries, and its position on changes enacted in the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Located at: Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

2008 Year-End Compliance Reminders - Summary: Every year, defined contribution plan sponsors should make sure their plans meet certain compliance requirements, including those listed below. This publication identifies the materials you need to review and will help you prepare for year-end. Located at: Prudential , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

DOL Publishes Final Rules on Annuity Selection for DC Plans - Summary: The DOL published final regulations regarding the selection of annuity providers and annuity contracts for defined contribution plans. The final regulations establish a safe harbor in selecting an annuity provider for benefit distributions. Located at: Prudential , December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Fund Fees Expected to Drop - Summary: The bear market will lead to a proportional decrease in regular fund fees and severe cuts in performance-based fees, according to Boston Consulting Group. Located at: Planadviser.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Touching Retirement Savings - Summary: Nine in 10 U.S. workers in their employer retirement plan have not tapped into their nest egg despite the economic downturn, and 11% are actually upping their deferral amount. Located at: Planadviser.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Premature Distributions from 401k Plans - Summary: The desire to get control over retirement funds may directly conflict with the tax penalties imposed on distributions prior to age 59 1/2. Located at: Morningstar.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

'Plain vanilla' Funds Attract Fearful Investors - Summary: As the turbulent economy continues to roil, investors likely will gravitate toward index-based, middle-of-the-road mutual funds, opening the door for opportunists to sweep up bargains, industry experts say. And the safer, the better. Located at: Employee Benefit News (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Riding the Retirement Rollercoaster - Summary: Retirement planning is complex enough, but add in the extra tax considerations that executives must consider and the recent wild swings in the stock market, and execs nearing retirement may be ready to throw up their hands. Located at: Employee Benefit News (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k vs. IRA - Summary: Many investors are on automatic pilot when it comes to contributing to their 401k plans. So as they approach retirement, some are confronting a choice they hadn't given much thought to before: Should they leave their nest egg where it is or roll it over into an Individual Retirement Account? Located at: Wall Street Journal Online, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Retirement Experts Urge Plan Sponsors to Shift Focus - Summary: Generating secure lifetime retirement income should become an urgent priority for plan sponsors and participants, according to the Institutional Retirement Income Research Council. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Litigation Heightens Awareness of Fiduciary Responsibility - Summary: While a majority of board of directors or board-level committees retain responsibility for appointing fiduciaries for qualified plans, an increasing number are choosing to delegate that responsibility to company executives and internal plan committees amid rising liability concerns, according to a survey conducted by Towers Perrin. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: Speaking Out Against the Annuity Industry Raiding Nest Eggs - Summary: Author asks, "In the past, annuity sellers concentrated on the already-retired market, but now they are setting their sights on the baby boomers who are reaching retirement age and can't afford to retire." Located at: Employee Benefit News (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Plan Now to Get Full Benefit of Saver's Credit - Summary: Low- and moderate-income workers can take steps now to save for retirement and earn a special tax credit in 2008 and the years ahead, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Located at: 401khelpcenter.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Advisers Embracing ERISA Fiduciary Status - Summary: Advisers increasingly are embracing ERISA plan fiduciary status. Why they're doing it, and how to prevent problems. Located at: Planadviser.com, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

COMMENTARY: A Strategic Argument for Phased Retirement - Summary: Author asks, "Why should employers care about the social good of phased retirement—especially in today's down turned economy, when getting expensive workers off the books is a matter of some urgency for many organizations? It's simple: Phased retirement is good for business." Located at: Workforce.com (free registration may be required), December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Target Date Funds: Still the Right Rationale for Investors - Summary: Recent market volatility reinforces how critical it is for plan sponsors to help ensure their participants have well-diversified portfolios and adhere to investing fundamentals, such as proper asset allocation, rebalancing, and long-term focus. These fundamentals are among the attributes of target-date funds. Located at: Vanguard Group, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Employees Responding to Market Declines by Choosing Safer Investments - Summary: Despite the recent market upheaval and poor investment returns, employees are staying the course and maintaining a long-term focus on retirement saving by continuing to invest in their 401k plans, according to a new analysis by Hewitt Associates. Located at: Hewitt Associates, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

Investment Fiduciaries - Living in the Left Tail - Summary: Simple rote execution of fiduciary processes established in normal times may not be considered fully sufficient. Investment fiduciaries should re-examine their investment policies and investment review process to ensure they address the unique characteristics, risks and uncertainties implicit in the current markets. Located at: Fiduciary Investor Blog, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

401k Balances and Changes Due to Market Volatility - Summary: EBRI has done many analyses using this database and is providing regular updates of balance estimates as the markets changes at this web page. Located at: Employee Benefit Research Institute, December 2008. Click on headline for full article.

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