401(k)

Many Americans are facing bleak retirement prospects as a result of the current do-it-yourself retirement system.

Many pension plans are facing financial woes, with many of them reducing pension payouts to their beneficiaries.

Underestimating longevity is one of the blunders that clients should be careful not to make.

Many would argue the retirement fund is archaic, inelegant and user-unfriendly. Is it time for something new?

If they file for Social Security, they should expect 26% less than they would get if they wait until their full retirement age.

Anticipation of auto enrollment features is expected to change the way advisers serve their clients.

Employees who invest heavily in company stock are commingling their financial capital with their human capital, and making their financial plans unnecessarily risky along the way.

Tax-wise strategies for charitable contributions can take a 180-degree turn when it comes time to create an estate plan.

A typically "balanced" portfolio (with 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds) yielded a return of 4% or more just 66% of the time.

Advisers and clients may think it doesn't matter which account makes the distribution, as long as the total calculated amount is taken from some account. They are wrong.

Investing in more bonds for a short period is a good strategy for retirement savers to curb the sequence of return risk.

The size of the firm may dictate what will work for advisers and employees.

For a couple details: Part D monthly premiums are often in the $35 to $50 range and higher-income retirees pay more for drug coverage.

Data and a personal touch can net the young client who everyone fears will go to a digital platform.

Data and a personal touch can net the young client who everyone fears will go to a digital platform.

High front-end fees, complex payouts and a lack of dividend income are among the reasons.

Instead, focus on things as they are today, and the most likely scenario for tomorrow, while remaining flexible enough to accommodate changing circumstances.

Investors should take market volatility as an opportunity to engage in year-end tax planning that includes strategies such as tax-loss harvesting.

Here are key takeaways from a Department of Labor fact sheet.

Changing a Medigap plan during open enrollment could be costly, especially when the switch happens after the initial six-month window.