When friends and loved ones finally raise their glasses to bid you a long and healthy retirement, you do not want to be worrying about how your bills will get paid. That is why it is so important to participate in your company's retirement plan now. On the road to retirement, however, other financial challenges [...]
401k Supreme Court Update Ongoing Fiduciary Duty to Monitor Plan Investments Under ERISA, the plan fiduciary (typically the plan sponsor or a plan committee) has a fiduciary obligation to monitor plan fees and pay only reasonable fees from plan assets. The DOL has focused significant attention on this fiduciary responsibility through its fee disclosure mandates. In [...]
If you are the sponsor for an employer-sponsored, here are some resources available on the Internet to help you better manage your plan. Internal Revenue Service, Employee Plans www.irs.gov/ep Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration www.dol.gov/ebsa 401(k) Help Center www.401khelpcenter.com BenefitsLink www.benefitslink.com PlanSponsor Magazine www.plansponsor.com Plan Sponsor Council of America www.psca.org Employee Benefits Institute [...]
In 2014, the IRS allows you to give up to $14,000 annually (or $28,000 if you give jointly with your spouse) to each of as many people as you'd like in cash, investments, and/or property without triggering gift taxes. (This limit may be adjusted for inflation in future years.) If you're thinking about giving money [...]
401k Legislative Update State-Based Retirement Plan Initiatives While Congress has been unable to reach a consensus regarding whether automatic IRAs should be mandated for employers that do not offer retirement plans, a number of states have moved forward on this initiative, passing their own state-based retirement savings programs. Recently, 26 Senators wrote a joint letter to [...]
Take a peek behind the scenes of other sponsors’ retirement plans and you may gain some useful insights into ways to improve your own retirement plan. Some key findings in a recent benchmarking report include: The most common investment vehicle was the mutual fund, which held 46% of 401(k) plan assets. In all but the [...]
Boomers on the Brink: Issues Affecting Participants as They Consider Retirement Planning Will you still need me when I’m 64—or is it 65? Some birthdays are more important than others when it comes to retirement planning. Here are some milestones to remember. Age 50 More money can be placed in your retirement plan this year. Put [...]
We are pleased to introduce our LPL Research Midyear Outlook 2015, with the insights and guidelines to put together portfolio strategies for the rest of 2015. Few things can dampen the excitement of seeing the delivery of a long-awaited package on the porch than three words—“some assembly required.” Like any complex assembly, whether it’s a [...]
A major issue in estate planning is whom to name as beneficiaries on life insurance policies, pension plan accounts, IRAs, and annuities. This important decision often doesn't take into account the substantial estate and income tax consequences the beneficiary may incur. So before you name a beneficiary, you may wish to gain a basic understanding [...]
The more business we do and information we share online, the more identity theft becomes a growing threat to our financial security. There are ways you can help protect your good name and credit. Here are some tips to help keep you and your family safe. Monitor Your Accounts This goes for everything you have [...]
