John Iekel

2017: MEPs, State Plans, Financial Education Loom Large

By John Iekel | 1/10/2017

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series in which retirement industry insiders share their expectations for the coming year. Part 1, on the DOL fiduciary rule, can be found here. The champagne flutes from New Years Eve may be dry, but plenty of bubbling exuberance remains. In the view... READ MORE

As the Calendar Turns, Whither the Fiduciary Rule?

By John Iekel | 12/29/2016

It won’t be long until the champagne corks have been popped, the confetti has fallen and we will have embarked on a new year. In with the new! But does that include the DOL’s fiduciary rule? Well, the rule is kind of new. It appeared in its first incarnation in 2010 and then reappeared. It wended... READ MORE

New IRS Examination Rules Tighten IDR Process

By John Iekel | 11/23/2016

A new IRS memorandum to examiners in the IRS Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) division sets forth a new process for handling Information Document Requests (IDRs) in retirement plan audits. The memorandum from TE/GE Commissioner Sunita Lough is dated Nov. 21.The new rules center on the... READ MORE

Senate to Vote on Bill to Bolster Retirement Savings

By John Iekel | 11/18/2016

The Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act (RESA, S. 3471), which would amend the Internal Revenue Code to encourage retirement savings, was placed on the Senate’s legislative calendar by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on Nov. 16.Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, also placed the Miners... READ MORE

Graff: A ‘Changed Landscape’ in Washington

By John Iekel | 11/17/2016

Elections, it is said, have consequences. And the retirement industry is among those for whom last week’s election results signaled that change is on the horizon. In a Nov. 15 ASPPA webcast, “What the Election Means to the Retirement Industry,” Brian Graff, CEO of the American Retirement... READ MORE

Borzi: FAQs on Fiduciary Rule Coming Soon

By John Iekel | 10/26/2016

Much-anticipated guidance on the DOL fiduciary rule will be coming soon, according to Phyllis Borzi, head of the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). She made the remarks Oct. 25 during the Government Update session at the ASPPA Annual Conference.Borzi was joined by PBGC Director... READ MORE

The Taxman Cometh, Graff Warns

By John Iekel | 10/24/2016

What’s the retirement plan industry’s biggest concern in the coming election? American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff addressed the issue in the opening session of the 2016 ASPPA Annual Conference at National Harbor, Md. Oct. 23.“The biggest concern that we have has to do with tax reform,”... READ MORE

Industry Preps for DOL Fiduciary Rule

By John Iekel | 6/28/2016

Less than a year till zero hour on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) fiduciary rule. And while it is imminent but not formally implemented just yet, it’s already having an effect — and panel discussions at the June 20-21 SPARK National Conference in Washington, DC offered insights into the effects it... READ MORE

Kmak: Stop the Race to the Bottom on Fees

By John Iekel | 6/22/2016

There are plenty of financial pressures on DC plans, providers and sponsors. Not to mention the importance clients place on fees when considering whether to drop an investment manager. In a June 20 session at the 2016 SPARK National Conference held in Washington, D.C., Tom Kmak, CEO of Fiduciary... READ MORE

EBRI-ERF Forum Traces Retirement Challenges and Solutions

By John Iekel | 5/13/2016

How can we best address the challenges we face concerning retirement security? Speakers at the Employee Benefit Research Institute-Education Research Fund policy forum held May 12 in Washington, D.C. offered ideas from several perspectives.“It’s a crisis for you if you’re not prepared,” said G.... READ MORE

Educating Our Way Out of America’s Undersaving Problem

By John Iekel | 5/11/2016

America faces “a huge undersaving problem that will catch up with us,” warned participants at a recent panel discussion on financial literacy and retirement readiness. The May 6 session at LIMRA’s 2016 Retirement Industry Conference included Angela Dicastri, Director, Retirement Market, at... READ MORE

Critical Factors in Life and Annuity Retirement Product Development

By John Iekel | 5/11/2016

Recent research about the development of annuity products and certain life insurance products used for retirement purposes provided food for thought at a May 6 session of LIMRA’s 2016 Retirement Industry conference.Elaine Tumicki, Corporate Vice President, Insurance Research – Product, LIMRA, and... READ MORE

Retirement Readiness: Risks and Perceptions

By John Iekel | 5/9/2016

How financially ready are most Americans for retirement? What threatens pre-retirees’ financial stability during the accumulation phase? A May 5 session at LIMRA’s 2016 Retirement Industry Conference offered some hard data on perceptions of — and risks to — retirement readiness.Andrew Peterson,... READ MORE

5 Keys to a Successful Web Platform

By John Iekel | 5/6/2016

Increasingly, a 401(k) plan’s digital platform — both website and mobile — is becoming participants’ main point of contact with the plan, upping the ante on the quality and efficiency of the user experience. What can consumer research tell us about doing a better job of fulfilling users’ digital... READ MORE

Whither Robo-Advisors?

By John Iekel | 5/5/2016

Has the future of robo-advisors arrived?Not just yet, according to Howard Schneider, president of the consulting and research firm Practical Perspectives, and Conor McGuinness, director of policy and compliance at Nyhart Actuary and Employee Benefits. Speaking at a May 4 session at the 2016... READ MORE

Presidential Primary Campaigns: Both Parties Caught Flat-footed

By John Iekel | 4/20/2016

“More challenging than expected.” Perhaps coining the biggest understatement yet about the 2016 presidential primary campaigns, political analysts Bruce Haynes and Steve McMahon of Purple Strategies shared their takes on this year’s elections during an April 18 general session at the NAPA 401(k)... READ MORE

DOL Rule’s Impact: Industry Execs See Opportunity in Disruption

By John Iekel | 4/20/2016

How one views the DOL’s final fiduciary rule depends on your vantage point and how you will have to apply the rule. That was the message of three prominent industry execs who participated in an April 19 NAPA 401(k) Summit panel discussion on the impact of the rule on their business models and... READ MORE

Practical Application of Behavioral Finance

By John Iekel | 4/20/2016

Pushing saving beyond what people consider “normal” was the focus of an April 18 workshop session at the NAPA 401(k) Summit. Panelists Phil Fiore, UBS Financial Services Senior Vice President, FDG Group; Randall Long, SageView Advisory Group Managing Principal; and Michael Whitehurst, Merrill Lynch... READ MORE

The ROI of Financial Wellness

By John Iekel | 4/18/2016

Improving financial wellness is a matter of behavioral economics, according to Ramsey Solutions' Brian Hamilton and Stonestreet Advisor Group's founder and Principal Barbara Delaney. The two spoke at an April 17 workshop session at the NAPA 401(k) Summit in Nashville.“We as advisors do have a... READ MORE

Graff: Meet the New Reality

By John Iekel | 4/18/2016

“We can’t walk away from this. It’s not going anywhere.” American Retirement Association CEO and NAPA Executive Director Brian Graff captured the new environment ushered in by the Department of Labor in its final fiduciary rule. Graff opened the 15th annual NAPA 401(k) Summit in Nashville with a... READ MORE

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