The end of the year brings with it a variety of “lists” and “best of's.” Here are some of both.
It is something of a tradition this time of year to look back, to reminisce about past events and lessons learned, and sometimes to look ahead. Here are some insights from columns past that I hope have been of value in 2017 – and will continue to do so in the months ahead.
5 Things You May Not Know About Roth 401(k)s
According to a variety of industry surveys, roughly 60% of 401(k) plans now offer a Roth 401(k) option, and Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) data shows that 28.6% of 403(b) plans already allow for Roth contributions. Participant take-up, which just a few years ago hovered in the single digits, is now in the 15-20% range. Here are five other things you may not know about the Roth 401(k).
5 Things People Get Wrong About ERISA Fidelity Bonds
One of the most important – and, in my experience, least understood – aspects of plan administration is the requirement that those who handle plan funds and other property be covered by a fidelity bond.
5 Things You May Not Know About HSAs
Odds are that you’ve heard that health savings accounts, or HSAs, offer individuals a “triple tax advantage” – but here are five things you may not know about HSAs.
Health Savings Accounts, or HSAs, are hardly a new thing – they were approved by Congress in 2003 and became law in January 2004. But they are getting a lot of attention lately – here’s why.
6 Dangerous Fiduciary Assumptions
There’s an old saying that when you assume… well, here are six assumptions that can create real headaches for retirement plan fiduciaries.
Here are 20 things I wish I had known when I entered the workforce.
6 Assumptions That Can Wreck a Retirement
The future is an uncertain thing, and planning for uncertainty inevitably involves making some assumptions. Here are six that, done improperly, can wreck your retirement.
12 Ways That the Class of 2021’s Retirement Will Be Different
By the time the Class of 2021 entered school, laptops were outselling desktops, while on the technology front, in their lifetimes, Blackberry has gone from being a wild fruit… to being a communications device… to becoming a wild fruit again. But what about their retirement(s)?
Most of the attempts to affix a value to having an advisor tend to focus on investment returns or cost savings. Both are valid, objective measures that can have a real, substantive impact on retirement security. But here are five of the best values I’ve gotten from a plan advisor.
Why an Average 401(k) Balance Doesn’t ‘Mean’ Much
In recent days, we’ve gotten updates on average savings rates and 401(k) balances, and while for the very most part the reports have been positive and “directionally accurate,” I’ve always taken such findings with a grain of salt. Not so many in the press. Here are four things to keep in mind about those “average” 401(k) balances.
Even with the passage of time, there’s value in looking back even further. Here’s last year’s list:
Things, Remembered – From 2016
It is something of a tradition this time of year to look back, to reminisce about past events and lessons learned, and sometimes to look ahead. Here are some insights – nearly 80 – from columns past that should help lay the groundwork for a productive and prosperous 2017.
Here’s wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2018!
