Employee benefits

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 is having a positive effect on 401(k) plans, Fidelity Investments said Wednesday.

Nearly two-thirds, 63.8%, of plan sponsors have changed the investment lineup in their 401(k) plan in the past year, up markedly from a mere 20% in 2008, according to the Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America.

Mercer has launched a new blog for employers that it hopes will be thought-provoking. M/THINK also includes data-rich infographics and commentaries on key business issues facing today’s employers.

Retirement plan advisers’ top five concerns include new disclosure rules, market volatility, finding greater flexibility and customization in plans, measuring a given plan’s success and an expected redefinition of fiduciary status. Those are the results from a national listening tour conducted by Transamerica Retirement Services.

Only 4% of plan sponsors have established goals to engage workers younger than 35 in their defined contribution plans, even though they know the younger generation's participation and contribution rates lag their older colleagues, a survey by Greenwich Associates for Northern Trust finds.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management is proposed a fundamentally different approach to defined contribution plans by stripping down offerings a complexities to a menu of just three choices: a diversified stock portfolio, a diversified bond portfolio and one offering diversified cash alternatives.

Retirement plan administrators and advisers take note: It’s not a company’s size but rather the demographic makeup of its workforce that influences whether it sponsors a retirement plan.

Three-quarters of 260 employers that suspended 401(k) matches due to the recession have restored them, Towers Watson said in a report Wednesday. Of these companies, 74% have brought these matches back to the levels they were before the recession, and only 23% have brought them back at a lower level.

Lincoln Financial Group has introduced Lincoln Alliance, a mutual fund retirement solution designed for small-to-mid-sized retirement plans with assets of $2 million or more. As typical of large plans, the offering includes independent fiduciary support from Ibbotson Associates, investment advice from Morningstar, a wide range of investment options from a lineup of 9,000 funds across 610 fund families, annual plan reviews and guidance on ERISA Section 404(c).

Mercer’s U.S. outsourcing business has begun including retirement income from Financial Engines in its defined contribution platform. Financial Engines says its Financial Engines Income+ is the first retirement income solution designed specifically for 401(k) plans.

The Department of Labor on Monday issued final rules on investment advice in 401(k) plans, largely in line with its initial definition of advice.

FINRA this week issued an investor alert urging the roughly 30% of American workers who are not contributing enough to their 401(k) plans to receive a full employer match to step up their contributions in order to meet their eventual retirement needs.

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

Great-West Retirement Services has launched a marketing campaign this week to participate in the National Save for Retirement Week.

Vanguard announced that the small 401(k) plan service that it introduced last month for plans of up to $20 million in assets under management has been receiving a great deal of interest, particularly the platform’s concentration on low-cost index and target-date funds, and its “all-in” plan fees that include investment, recordkeeping and administration costs.

Congress is currently considering a bill that would permit 401(k) investors in danger of losing their primary home to foreclosure to use up to $50,000 or 50% of the balance, whichever is less, to prevent that from happening.

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. The campaign, aimed at 1.4 million participations in 32,500 plans, shows two superheroes flying around on scooters, enjoying leisure time with friends and family and generally just enjoying being retired.

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.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has unveiled a new set of features for its 401(k) and employee financial benefit programs including new mobile access to retirement account information.

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.