As part of the process by ING US to become more independent, the parent company recently announced its intent to sell stock currently held in an S1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ING US, which eventually will be renamed Voya, went public on May 1, 2013, so underwriters had to... READ MORE

Call it “the Lehman Effect” or “the five-year witching hour,” but funds that suffered the most during the Great Recession are about to post stellar five-year returns — which they will no doubt be highlighting as net outflows for equity funds continue. According to a Wall Street Journal MarketWatch... READ MORE

As the retirement industry is fighting to keep money market funds in pension plans and the SEC considers reforms spurred by the Great Recession, others are questioning whether MMFs belong in DC plans at all. In comment letters to the SEC, pension executives argue that MMFs offer stability,... READ MORE

Speaking on a wide range of issues at last week’s Plan Sponsor Council of America conference, EBSA head Phyllis Borzi commented on a number of pending issues near and dear to the hearts of DC advisors and providers, including fee disclosure, lifetime income illustrations in participant statements... READ MORE

According to the benefits consulting firm Schneider Downs, the EBSA’s Office of Chief Accountant will be looking into the professional standards and compliance work of 400 ERISA auditors. Letters are expected to be sent out to plan sponsors requesting copies of the work papers; they will have 15... READ MORE

On Monday, Sept. 16, the CalPERS investment Committee will meet. The big topic: whether to move more aggressively to passive strategies. RIABiz’s Lisa Shidler describes how the retirement industry is closely watching the $260 billion bellwether pension fund, which already has 35% of its assets in... READ MORE

What are the current prospects for tax reform, especially in light of shifting priorities on Capitol Hill? NAPA Executive Director/CEO Brian Graff tackles that question in this month’s Washington Update video. As is often the case, the answer to the question involves numerous moving parts and what-... READ MORE

As Phyllis Borzi was informing the attendees of the Financial Services Institute’s annual conference this week that the Department of Labor’s forthcoming fiduciary standard proposal will be delayed, AARP released a study of the attitudes of 401(k) and 403(b) participants regarding fiduciary duties... READ MORE

In last week’s Question of the Week we asked, "What percentage of 401(k) plan sponsors are 'very satisfied' with the overall service they receive from their plan advisor?" Here are the results of the voting, expressed in percentages:50%: 30%60%: 45%80%: 13%90%: 8%Other: 5%Looks like poll... READ MORE

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At this week’s Financial Services Institute meeting in Washington, EBSA chief Phyllis Borzi stated that the redefinition rule will not be forthcoming in October as originally planned and that the delay could be several months. Given the heightened attention on the rule, Borzi wants to make sure... READ MORE