Retirement planning

The Labor and Treasury Departments have issued a request for information to determine whether annuities belong in 401(k)s. Specifically, the agencies want to know the benefits and the drawbacks to receiving retirement income in installments.

The proposal would automatically deduct up to 3% of an employee’s salary straight from their paycheck and invest it in Roth IRAs, unless the employee chose to opt out, or chose to invest in a traditional IRA. This plan would be for employees who don’t have other types of pensions or retirement savings plans, about 80 million workers in all.

To help the middle-class save for retirement, President Obama may have also given a boost to the annuities sector.

Bank of America's Merrill Lynch Wealth Management has launched a new U.S. marketing campaign, "help2retire___," to illustrate individuals' evolving retirement priorities and personal aspirations. Budgeted at $20 million, it launched last Monday and is scheduled to run through the end of April on broadcast network and national cable TV, as well as print and online consumer and trade magazines, including sister publication Financial Planning.

NEW YORK -- Online retirement calculators are usually so confusing or overwhelming that the average plan participant logs in, checks their account balance and then logs off without making any changes. Putnam Investments has developed a new retirement income twist it hopes will resonate with investors, plan sponsors and financial advisers.

The Recession has prompted an overwhelming majority of American workers to believe it’s time for a new and improved model for workplace retirement programs, Prudential Financial [PRU] found in a survey.

The Great Recession has prompted an overwhelming majority of American workers to believe it’s time for a new and improved model for workplace retirement programs, Prudential Financial found in a survey.

Putnam CEO seeks alliances between insurers and asset mangers to develop retirement solutions.

There is such multiformity among the baby boomers that not everyone even agrees on who exactly belongs in this group.

The American Institute of CPAs is offering a CPA-oriented guide on Roth IRA conversions now that the old $100,000 income limit for converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA no longer applies.

Putnam Investments unveiled a new website for its 401(k) plans Monday that keys investors into a monthly retirement income figure, rather than their existing balance or a retirement savings target.

NEW YORK—Putnam Investments unveiled a new website for its 401(k) plans Monday that keys investors into a monthly retirement income figure, rather than their existing balance or a retirement savings target.

401(k) investors aided by professional investment advice—be it in the form of a target-date default investment, managed accounts or bona fide online advice—earn nearly 2% more (186 basis points) than those who do not receive such help, according to a joint study by Hewitt Associates and Financial Engines.

Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch Wealth Management unit has launched a new U.S. marketing campaign, “help2retire_____,” to illustrate individuals’ evolving retirement priorities and personal aspirations. Budgeted at $20 million, it launched Monday and is scheduled to run through the end of April on broadcast network and national cable TV, as well as print and online consumer and trade magazines, including sister publication Financial Planning.

In helping the middle-class save for retirement, President Obama may have also given a boost to the annuities sector.

The White House plans to promote “the availability of annuities and other forms of guaranteed lifetime income, which transform savings into guaranteed future income, reducing the risks that retirees will outlive their savings or that their retirees’ living standards will be eroded by investment losses or inflation.”

Some of these trusts are goal-based and some are dollar-based.

BofA will spend up to $20 million over the next three months on its “help2retire” campaign.

BOSTON -- Mutual fund companies must stay on top of their compliance programs, particularly because Congress is likely to pass new financial regulations, executives warn.

ShareBuilder 401(k) serves small businesses with a lineup primarily of exchange-traded funds.