Employee benefits

While most companies seem hesitant to spend their cash, at least one company is eager to take advantage of sluggish market activity to grow.

Advisers targeting defined contribution plans have new research to rely on.

Almost seven in 10 mass-affluent couples (69%) discuss their finances at least a few times a month. That’s more than what many spend talking about other topics, such as the election, work, sex, and even their kids.

Advisors can bring great benefits to their clients through college savings plans. Here are 15 advantages and 13 notes of caution.

Participation in 529 college savings plans has leveled off after years of growth, according to a Fidelity survey. Perhaps not coincidentally, the study found that most advisors do not "proactively suggest the 529 plan" to parents with youngsters.

Defined contribution plan sponsors need to do a better job communicating key information to participants, according to a survey of plan participants.

On August 30, the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration participant fee disclosure rule, dubbed ERISA 404(a)(5), will go into effect.

On August 10, 2012, 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.

On August 10, 2012, Janus Capital Group has entered into a strategic alliance with the The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, in which Japan’s third largest life insurer will acquire up to 20% of Janus’s outstanding shares and invest at least $2 billion in Janus investment products

Legg Mason's 2012 Intergenerational Survey of College Finances points out a lack of advanced planning among affluent Americans for their children's college education.

Alternative mutual fund shop Hatteras Funds has launched a new variable trust fund, the Hatteras Alpha Hedged Strategies Variable Fund, which will bet on “multiple” hedge fund managers.

On July 6, 2012, The Government Pension Investment Fund of Japan, which is the world's largest public pension fund managing over 113 trillion yen, generated 2.32% return in the latest fiscal year.

On July 6, 2012, Money Management Executive recently spoke to Jim Jessee, president at MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., the distribution arm of the firm's U.S. fund business, and co-Head, Global Distribution, about the firm's "Building Better Insights" branding initiative and other trends he sees within and outside of the firm.

William Blair & Co. has turned off the spigot on the William Blair International Growth Fund and Institutional International Growth Fund, effective June 30.

Laurence D. Fink used at least half a dozen acquisitions to expand BlackRock Inc. from a boutique bond shop to the world’s biggest money manager. Now the firm, which invests $3.7 trillion for clients around the world, faces a new challenge: Growing on its own.

June arrived on a positive note for tax-exempt money market funds, which accumulated $1.19 billion in new cash while total net assets rose to $273.64 billion in the week ended June 4, according to the Money Fund Report, a service of iMoneyNet.com.

Pershing on Wednesday said advisors will now be able use its platform to open, fund and manage 529 college savings plans for investors looking to set aside cash for their children’s education.

J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services, the retirement plan record keeping business of J.P. Morgan Asset Management, has hired Bill McDermott in a newly created role as head of Sales and Client Solutions.

On May 30, 2012, J.P. Morgan Asset Management has introduced a new tool for retirement plan advisors to facilitate 401(k) plan design conversations and enhance plan sponsor decisions.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. last September put the brakes on its effort to sell its mutual-fund unit to private equity shop Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC after banks cut back on lending for leveraged buyouts.