Retirement planning

MFS Investment Management has launched an additional 401(k) module for financial advisors called “Building a Standout Approach.” The module helps advisors decide which content to present and how to organize and structure it to various industries and audiences.

John Hancock Financial Network has launched a turnkey retirement income program for financial advisors that includes a web-based product allocation analysis tool, multi-media educational and sales materials and dedicated support.

John Hancock Financial Network has launched a turnkey retirement income program for financial advisers that includes a web-based product allocation analysis tool, multi-media educational and sales materials and dedicated support.

Although Edward Jones recommends that retirees start with a plan to withdraw 4% of their retirement savings each year, Americans have a widely varying idea of how much they will need, the investment firm found in a survey of 1,011 people.

Although Edward Jones recommends that retirees start with a plan to withdraw 4% of their retirement savings each year, Americans have a widely varying idea of how much they will need, the investment firm found in a survey of 1,011 people.

The Hartford is taking part in the upcoming National Save for Retirement Week of Oct. 16 with the “It’s In Your Power Campaign,” based on superheroes.

Having gone into bankruptcy, Financial Research Corp. is now being evaluated by Strategic Insight parent Asset International for potential purchase.

In the wake of economic and stock market volatility, many 401(k) investors are questioning the wisdom of 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans, a survey by Allianz Life Insurance Company finds.

Automatic enrollment greatly increases participation in 401(k) plans for all racial and ethnic groups, with particular success for blacks and Hispanics, even among low earners, Vanguard research shows.

One of the hot topics in the field of behavioral finance is the use of heuristics -- simple rules of thumb or mental shortcuts often used to make decisions or draw inferences quickly and with minimal effort. While in everyday life these mental shortcuts help us to function quickly and efficiently, author and consultant Keith Weber says that when they’re applied to our personal finances they can often lead to poor investment decisions.

A majority of married couples in their 60s lack the knowledge about how to maximize their Social Security benefits and whether or not to expect Social Security advice from a financial planner.

ING knows people of all ages are now virtually tethered to their smartphones and tablet PCs, so it’s rolling out a new program to help employees instantly enroll in their employers’ retirement plans.

A doctoral candidate and his advisor from Texas Tech University won the Retirement Income Industry Association's first Thought Leadership Award, the association announced at its fall conference Tuesday.

Investors appear to have switched gears from focusing on replenishing their balances from 2008’s market downturn to taking all of the responsible steps to prepare for retirement, according to Principal Financial Group’s analysis of retirement plan participants’ behavior in 2010.

When it comes to retirement income, clients are concerned about rising health costs, and they probably also should be concerned about long-term care, said a top executive of Merrill Lynch's Retirement Income Program, in a keynote address at the Retirement Income Industry Association's fall conference.

Top economists who spoke here at the Insured Retirement Institute annual conference told attendees to brace for fundamental paradigm shifts as they wait for global and domestic economies to stabilize.

Janus has just launched a new online retirement income program for financial advisers, called Janus Time Segmentation Framework. The surprising part: it seems better designed for advisers than it does for their clients.

MassMutual Retirement Services’ 2011 campaign to prompt 401(k) participants to save more has succeeded in boosting deferral rates by 4.34%. It also was aimed at getting those who were not saving into the game, and helping those with portfolios to revisit their allocations.

401K GPS has launched it personalized 401(k) monitoring service, to ensure participants’ strategies fit their risk profile. While the service monitors portfolios on a daily basis, it issues quarterly recommendations on how investors should reallocate their holdings, based on retirement goals and market expectations. Should volatility in the markets become pronounced, 401K GPS will issue intra-quarterly alerts.

With people living longer and retirements stretching to 35 years, the need for income is greater than ever.