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NAPA Net Staff
By NAPA Net Staff | 10/25/2012
According to a study by The American College, 40% of small business owners have no retirement savings or pension plan in place — even though many are over 50. Furthermore, the study found that three-fourths of those owners have no written plan for funding their retirement. Equally surprising, many...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/25/2012
Pop quiz time: What’s the percentage of U.S. workers in the moderate income range — that is, those who make $30,000 to $50,000 a year — without access to an employer-sponsored plan who are saving for retirement through an IRA? Is the answer:30%20%10%5%The answer is: Among moderate income workers...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/24/2012
What are the three most common mistakes made by investors? According to a survey of advisers by Chris Carosa, they are:• trying to beat the market;• playing it safe; and• timing the market.Investors either get too aggressive — which leads to adviser turnover — or they get too conservative,...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/24/2012
Is long term care insurance a long time gone? In the wake of a skeptical report by Moody’s and a dramatic price increase by one of the major carriers (driven by higher-than-expected medical costs and lower lapse rates), the potential buyers’ market has shrunk — as has the number of LTCI carriers....
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/24/2012
We all know it’s hard to get participants to focus on their retirement plans, but apparently many of them don’t even know how much they are deferring, according to a survey by T. Rowe Price. In an interview that aired on Fox Business News, T. Rowe’s John Ritter indicated this seems to be the case....
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/23/2012
In a simple but complete checklist, T. Rowe Price details all the duties of a plan fiduciary, along with guidelines on how to best complete them. The checklist includes areas like:• Roles and responsibilities – who, what and how• Investments – IPS monitoring and compliance• Admin – process and...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/23/2012
The recent recession had a greater impact on adults aged 36-40 than on any other age group, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. Americans’ median wealth dropped by half during the recession, partly due to far lower home values — leaving some homeowners underwater. Fewer of these adults...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/23/2012
A main focus of this year’s presidential election campaign — in the debates as well as the candidates’ TV and print ads — has been the plight of middle class Americans, with both candidates promising to relieve the tax burden on the middle class. But did you know that tax-deferred contributions to...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/22/2012
By Heather Lutze[Editor’s Note: This commentary by Heather Lutze, CEO of Findability Group, was first published on Findability’s blog. It is posted here with permission. Lutze is the author of a recommended e-book on social media, Thumbonomics: The Executive Guide to Social Media Marketing. She has...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/22/2012
We’ve been hearing why ETFs make sense in 401(k) plans for a long time. But especially in light of the DOL’s fee disclosure regulations — which highlight cost and transparency, two of ETFs’ advantages over traditional mutual funds – perhaps their time has truly come. Providers large and small,...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/22/2012
Aided by many low-cost providers and proponents of DB plans or a nationalized DC system, the media continue to focus on fees as the main culprit in the so-called retirement crisis. As a result, plan sponsors and participants are hearing the message that lower cost is better — as evidenced by a...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/19/2012
By Timothy D. Rice
Our industry is notorious for churning out large reports for investment committee meetings that, for all intents and purposes, are thrown by the wayside an hour or two after the committee meeting. For our firm, the decision to “go green” in other aspects of our business was an...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/19/2012
The DC system in general, and 401(k) plans specifically, are under attack in various ways and from various directions. But what everyone seems to be ignoring is that the participant-directed retirement system, which is the envy of a world still heavily dependent on DB and government-funded plans,...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/19/2012
The Internal Revenue Service announced on Oct. 19 the annual cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limitations and thresholds for pension plans and other retirement-related items (i.e., IRAs, SIMPLE plans, etc.) for the 2013 tax year. In general, many of the pension plan limitations will...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/18/2012
Plan sponsors are required by the IRS and/or the DOL to provide notices to eligible employees and plan participants at specific times of the year related to the status of the plan or the participants’ accounts. A list from by Baden Retirement Plan Services (an Ascensus company) provides a quick...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/18/2012
Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking enough risk. In a recent survey, Natixis found that market volatility and uncertainty still keeps many investors on the sidelines, with 57% of the respondents indicating that they would not reduce their cash holdings. But advisors can make a difference — 51...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/18/2012
So, what are some early anecdotal results of the 408(b)(2) requirements among plan fiduciaries? That depends on whether the fiduciary is diligent or not, according to new research by the law firm Bryan Cave. Overall, very few plan sponsors were able to determine on their own whether their fees were...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/17/2012
At a NAPA-hosted webcast on Oct, 16th, presenters focused on the challenges and action items surrounding 404a-5 disclosures and offered ways for advisors to add value for their clients. Key take-aways for plan advisors included:• Create a simple and repeatable process.• Be the quarterback — make...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/17/2012
In another sign of the shift from DB to DC plans, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan has filed a ballot initiative to overhaul the city’s employee pension system. Riordan’s plan would require future workers to enroll in 401(k)-style retirement accounts instead of government pension plans. The...
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By NAPA Net Staff | 10/17/2012
What’s driving cost cutting by mutual funds offered to retirement plans? Some might say disclosure, but there may be other drivers at work, like technology and market pressure. Many of the administrative and record keeping fees are buried in fund expense ratios, which can make these fees seem high...
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