This article originally appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of NAPA Net the Magazine. To view a PDF version of this article, CLICK HERE.It’s your turn, and you draw a card. Perhaps it says, “Proceed to Go.” Or maybe it says “Free Parking,” the space where a game piece sits in limbo, waiting to move to... READ MORE

It’s only September, but the end of the 2014 plan year is fast approaching. That means more than compiling data for information reporting and preparing for the 2015 plan year — it also means providing notices to plan participants before New Year’s Eve. Prudential outlines the notices a plan... READ MORE

Eastman Kodak, one of New York State’s major employers, has changed its retirement plan in a rather unorthodox way. Kodak still offers both a defined contribution plan and a defined benefit plan, but has enhanced its DB plan while making its DC plan less attractive, Business Insurance... READ MORE

Many of the enhancements touted for defined contribution plan design are said to make them operate more like defined benefit plans — but does that apply to target-date fund (TDF) designs? A recent Vanguard blog post () notes that the notion typically manifests in a recommendation that the TDF use... READ MORE

A secure retirement and adequate retirement savings are targets many Americans can attain. That’s the conclusion that Prudential has reached, based on research by Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research. In its most recent National Retirement Risk Index, the center found that to maintain... READ MORE

Behavioral finance expert and Swiss professor Thorsten Hens is refining behavioral finance tools to make it possible for advisors and financial institutions to use them in an even more precise manner. Thinkadvisor reports that Hens is developing a model that would allow advisors and investors an... READ MORE

Expenses charged to 401(k) plan participants declined in 2013, says a new study from the Investment Company Institute (ICI). In “The Economics of Providing 401(k) Plans: Services, Fees and Expenses, 2013,” the ICI reports that last year, participants spent less when they invested in equity, hybrid... READ MORE

Investing in microcap companies can be easy and attractive — their stocks are low-priced. But as a recent SEC posting notes, the risks in investing in microcaps include volatility and liquidity. Another risk is that many microcaps do not file financial reports with the SEC, making it harder to... READ MORE

Target date funds are growing and likely to comprise a larger percentage of 401(k) assets, says Paladin Registry, an independent educational resource for investors.  Paladin cites statistics from Target Date Solutions projecting that TDFs will grow by 30% a year for the next 30 years, reaching $4... READ MORE