Retirement planning

"If you think you have no special needs clients, you probably are not asking the right questions,” says Mike Walther.

The share of families with an individual account retirement plan such as an IRA or 401(k) is decreasing, but the assets in those plans are increasing, according to a new study.

Clients with both pre- and after-tax money in their employer plans can allocate distribution to separate retirement accounts.

The retirement plan industry is evolving rapidly. Here are a few key trends that will help advisors looking to engage in the retirement plan market.

If you want to find the next generation of talented advisors, you may need to know which schools are educating them. The CFP Board certifies 372 educational programs, from certificates to Ph.Ds. See the 35 standout colleges, universities and other educational programs that made our list.

FINRA arbitration panel sides with a former Commonwealth Financial Network client who claims he lost his retirement savings due to bad retirement planning advice.

The IRS has issued guidance clarifying the impact that a 2014 rollover of an individual retirement arrangement has on the one-per-year limit imposed by the Tax Code on tax-free rollovers between IRAs.

Advisor-focused legislation may be a long-shot, but Republican majorities in both chambers could result in more scrutiny for agencies mulling fiduciary rules.

The changing nature of retirement for clients is an opportunity for firms. "They’re still going to need advice, but the advice is going to take on a different form," says Merrill Lynch's John Thiel. "It is moving from investment advice to life advice."

How many frustrated family members are going to take aging clients' assets away from your management because you don't know how to protect a vulnerable client?

Millennials are becoming more proactive about retirement planning, according to the semiannual 401(k) Wellness Scorecard report from Bank of America.

Older middle-class Americans in their 50s are more likely to lack confidence in their retirement preparedness, with almost half fearing they haven't saved enough.

The proposed regulations address the tax treatment of distributions from designated Roth IRA accounts under tax-favored retirement plans.

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider giving 401(k) participants more power to sue their plans over investments that impose excessive fees, accepting an appeal tied to a wave of suits against employers.

Charles Schwab removed Pimco from its target-date retirement funds after the departure of Bill Gross.

Investors should beware when the Tax Code says one thing about real estate in an IRA, but the IRA custodian says another.

The rush to shift money to Roth IRAs may be built on bad assumptions. Keep your clients from making a mistake.