The ERISA consultants at the Columbia Management Retirement Learning Center Resource Desk regularly receive calls from financial advisors on a broad array of technical topics related to IRAs and qualified retirement plans. A recent call with an advisor in California is representative of a... READ MORE

Before World War II, Japan was known as the Land of the Rising Sun. After its devastating defeat, however, it became known as the “land of the setting sun” — a description that became the title of a book by the well-known Japanese novelist, Osamu Dazai.  Written shortly after the war, Dazai’... READ MORE

Pension plan sponsors got some much-anticipated guidance from the IRS on Sept. 11. The good news: The IRS has provided a number of options as part of the guidance on pension funding stabilization under the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (HATFA). The bad news: Most plans will... READ MORE

Participant transfer volumes remained in the summer doldrums in August, according to the Aon Hewitt 401(k) Index. When trading occurred, plan participants favored fixed income funds over equity funds for 65% of the trading days, a turnabout from trends in the prior month (see “401(k)... READ MORE

Great-West has made organizational changes as it completes the acquisition of JP Morgan’s large market record keeping division:  Ed Murphy, who headed up Putnam’s retirement group, was named president of the Great-West retirement group. Murphy reports to Bob Reynolds, CEO of Great-West... READ MORE

A new analysis explains that, while each situation is unique, most employers tend to take one of three broad approaches in moving to a DC-only environment. The report can serve as a roadmap for advisors looking to help with that transition.  The first approach is to close the DB plan to new... READ MORE

Participant fee equalization is a hot topic among DC nerds. But will it become mainstream, and do plan sponsors care? That question, as well as how to create a plan in which participants pay the same fees regardless of the investments they choose, is discussed in a thoughtful white paper by... READ MORE

With taxes and tax rates facing an uncertain future, interest in Roth IRAs is growing among both participants and plan sponsors. But who is contributing to these Roth IRAs, and how fast are they growing? Roth IRAs grew at more than double the rate of traditional IRAs among a consistent set... READ MORE

When TDFs first came out, some advisors saw them as a threat — especially when the record keeper only offered one option, usually their own. For advisors who saw their value primarily in the selection and monitoring of investments, the use of TDFs seemed to diminish that value. But with the... READ MORE

A Money magazine article published Sept. 2, “Why Your 401(k) May Only Return 4%,” makes this point: “The biggest dilemma in retirement investing may be how hard it will be to grow our savings in the next decade.” The author makes the case that in the coming decade, “investors are likely to... READ MORE

A class action lawsuit brought by plan participants, a retiree and a plan fiduciary claims that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway broke a promise it made as part of an acquisition agreement not to cut benefits. The lawsuit, filed last month in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, says... READ MORE

We are pleased to announce that the nomination period is now open for the 2015 NAPA 401(k) Advisor Leadership Award, and will run through Oct. 31. The winner will be announced at the 2015 NAPA 401(k) SUMMIT in San Diego in March. Eligible nominees include any individual or team (group of... READ MORE