Employee benefits

For the first time, more than half of all 401(k) contributions will go into target-date funds, research firm Cerulli Associates estimates. It projects the assets in target-date funds to hit $2 trillion by 2019.

Many financial professionals are accepting the idea that they likely won't beat the market and that investors therefore would be better off in low-cost index funds.

Adding rollovers and IRAs to the definition of fiduciary duties, the Department of Labor's new proposed rule could have a huge impact on firms in a fast-growing and profitable segment of the retirement savings industry.

Retirement product providers say that they continue to struggle with reluctant employers and misinformed employees about the benefits of their offerings.

The demands of Baby Boomers nearing retirement have pushed product providers to market their offerings as not just investments, but also financial wellness tools to manage retirees' lives.

Among the wealthiest clients, Fidelity and Vanguard retain their perennial leadership positions in firm perception, but there is room for others to advance their brand, according to a new study on investor sentiment toward insurance and retirement investment product providers.

Increased longevity and the fact that those belonging to the Greatest Generation married at a young age are two reasons for the increase in dual-generation retirements; Plus, the reason why parents shouldn't be too generous with their children's college education funds.

Your affluent clients may think they can just write a check to cover college costs. They're probably wrong. Here are a few issues that parents (and grandparents) should consider.

A big jump in clients’ risk appetite is why the Retirement Advisor Confidence Index climbed 2.3 points in December, reaching a five-month high of 54.

The pursuit of yield has driven both advisors and investors toward newer, more complex ETFs and closed-end funds — products that use leverage, employ derivatives, deal in options and futures, sell short and so on. When such funds are held in clients’ IRAs they can generate additional problems for advisors, creating tax headaches and raising questions about investor suitability.

The industry saw Bill Gross attracting $769 million to Janus, the global ETP market breaking an asset record, a prediction on how much of 401(k) contributions that target-date funds will capture by the end of the decade and a J.P. Morgan executive joining Wilton, Conn.,-based Commonfund as CEO.

Bill Gross’s exit unleashed a crisis that Pimco is still trying to contain. His departure was followed by record withdrawals from the mutual fund he once ran, and which he built into the world’s biggest.

Big tax bill looms for mutual fund investors; 4 secrets to getting more from your 529 account; How taxes and trading costs kill investment returns

Small businesses can turbocharge their retirement plans; The gift of a retirement account is a lifetime asset; Why Americans keep treating their 401(k) plans like a piggy bank

3 lessons from S&P 500 high-point; Getting a read on mortgage REITs; Tax-free savings for education expenses

What to do with an old 401(k) when changing jobs; Why it's so difficult to raise kids and save for retirement; 3 things to know about your 401(k)'s escape hatch

Families that have advisors are far more likely to have a college savings plan in place, Fidelity study finds.

Though private, non-traded REITs have very high loads and ongoing expenses, low cost REITs can have a place as alternatives in our clients' portfolios.

Common Mistakes in Retirement Savings; Tuition vs. Nest Egg; Alternatives, Yes or No

Variable annuity net new sales are expected to surge in the coming years after taking a dive in 2012, according to research firm Cerulli Associates.