Retirement planning

Plan participants who pick their own mix of investment options are generally exposed to greater risk due to reduced diversification, according to The Principal.

In a new survey, the CFP Board revealed just how pervasive the financial abuse of seniors has come to be. At the same time, the board is seeking new standards to help seniors - and all consumers - better understand which self-described financial advisors are truly out to serve their best interests.

Even as market uncertainty persists, employees using Bank of America Merrill Lynch's automatic 401(k) savings plans are showing they want to stay the course when it comes to positive savings behavior, according to the firm's latest quarterly data.

Lifelong income solutions for defined contribution plans are on the way. With defined benefit plans waning and life expectancy waxing, more retirees will need more guaranteed income than Social Security can provide.

Defined contribution plan sponsors need to do a better job communicating key information to participants, according to a survey of plan participants conducted by State Street Global Advisors.

Ask Ed Slott: Your IRA Expert answers readers' questions about how to manage and account for excess contributions made to IRAs for tax purposes.

IRA contributions for 2011 were nearly 15% higher than those for 2007 and contributions to Roth IRAs have outpaced traditional IRAs by almost 63% a year over the same period.

With 10,000 boomers turning 65 every day, these aging clients and their advisors face a slew of new challenges and complex investment and planning decisions.

By providing cheaper initial premiums and offering frequent buy-ups, insurer looks to attract healthy adults currently suffering budgetary constraints.

About 35% of women report using a financial advisor and another 35% who don't use an advisor would consider doing so, according to a new survey from Prudential Financial.

Custom target-date strategies will hold 22% of 401(k) target-date assets by 2016, or $218 billion, according to research from Cerulli Associates. That will be a nearly four-fold increase from the 2011 asset level of $46.4 billion.

Genworth Financial Trust Company announced a new program to help independent financial advisors find the trust companies best suited to working with them.

On August 9, 2012, What is up with ASPire?

Seventy-five percent of variable annuity buyers, 86% of indexed annuity buyers and 86% of traditional fixed annuity buyers reported being satisfied with their annuities.

Barlow Research's Economic Pulse study found 43% of small business owners do not intend to retire and those who do said they plan to work, on average, until they're 67 years old.

On August 8, 2012, David Wray, president of the Plan Sponsor Council of America, will retire from his post as president of the PSCA at the end of September.

Advisors contributed to the growth in Fidelity's defined contribution sales commitments during the first half of 2012, bringing in more than 450 new clients with close to 100,000 participants and $2.6 billion in assets under administration.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has grown its new financial benefit plan assets to a record $20 billion this year as it leverages stronger ties between its bank and brokerage forces.

On August 7, 2012, The Segal Company today said that its founder and Chairman Emeritus, Martin Segal, has passed way. He was 96 years old.

What is up with ASPire?