Retirement planning

Financial advisors are also trying to incorporate more products with guarantees as their clients remain nervous about the economic outlook, according to a survey.

But analysts say that the success it has had so far could be short-lived.

Fund managers should consider improving target-date fund disclosure to better align these products with the individual risk tolerance of investors, particularly in light of increased regulatory scrutiny over the performance of these funds in 2008, a retirement income expert says.

Putnam Investments is betting that actively managed products like its absolute-return funds will resonate more with skittish investors than index funds and exchange-traded products, which might be cheaper but mirror the market's volatility.

Bank of America Corp. expects “significant” growth in 401(k) assets this year, but analysts are skeptical about where and how the banking company can expect to generate new business.

The financial crisis has made a permanent impression on American consumers, who are likely to save 6% or more of their income over the next decade, translating to as much as $800 billion stashed away each year, according to a new study by Allianz Group.

Boomers are losing confidence in a lot of institutions, "not just financial ones."

Many U.S. employers are increasingly losing confidence in their workers’ ability to save for retirement and, as a result, plan to step up efforts to help workers maximize 401(k) savings.

Many U.S. employers are increasingly losing confidence in their workers’ ability to save for retirement and, as a result, plan to step up efforts to help workers maximize 401(k) savings, starting by reinstating the match, Hewitt Associates found. In fact, 80% of companies that suspended or reduced their company match are planning to restore it this year.

Nearly two million Americans 55 and older were unemployed and searching for work in January.

An industry group developing best practices for 403(b) retirement plans is coming closer to streamlining these plans to make them even more similar to 401(k) plans, but first they will have to get everyone to agree to speak the same language.

Investors are about to test drive 401(k) plans with a 21st Century whole new look and feel.

NEW YORK - Financial experts think 2010 could provide many interesting opportunities in the realm of wealth transference, particularly with the temporary, one-year expiration of the federal estate tax and reduction of the gift tax.

The products protect participants’ retirement income when the market drops, gives them some of the upside when the market rises, and guarantees retirement income for life.

Great West Retirement Services has introduced a new set of guaranteed income investment options, SecureFoundation. The products protect participants’ retirement income when the market drops, gives them some of the upside when the market rises, and guarantees retirement income for life.

Investors are about to test drive 401(k) plans with a 21st Century whole new look and feel.

The Securities and Exchange Commission will examine the risk exposure and marketing of target-date funds in the coming year, SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro told the Practising Law Institute Friday.

Decline in funding status for pension plans complicated by limited credit available to many sponsors.

People working in higher education are concerned about retirement but few are changing their investment strategy or planned retirement date or seeking the help of a financial adviser, ING U.S. Retirement Services found in a survey conducted in conjunction with Synovate.

The Simsbury, Conn., company will work with a national network of nearly 200 third-party administrators that sell such retirement plans to nonprofit healthcare, charitable, educational and religious organizations.