Plan sponsors may have a growing interest in financial wellness programs, but that doesn’t mean they are feeling responsible for ensuring the outcomes.A new survey finds that only 16% of employers strongly believe they have a responsibility to ensure employees’ financial preparedness, though larger... READ MORE

Americans say they need the most help — and get the least assistance — with managing a retirement income program.Those unmet needs exploded from 2012 to 2014, with demand for components in the “manage” category growing 10-plus points, according to a new Hearts & Wallets study, Retirement Income... READ MORE

Financial wellness can affect more than just employees’ accounts and retirement readiness. It also can affect their physical wellness — as well as the employer’s bottom line.In “Financial Wellness in the Workplace 2015,” Alliant Credit Union cites statistics from the American Psychological... READ MORE

J.P. Morgan Asset Management released its latest Retirement Insights white paper July 27 outlining best practices for selecting a target date strategy for DC plans.The white paper, “Custom or off-the-shelf target date strategies?,” explores several factors — such as asset allocation, management... READ MORE

While market returns played an important role in the significant gains in AUM and revenues last year, a new report finds that RIAs have experienced nearly half of their growth in assets under management in other ways.In fact, Schwab’s 2014 RIA Benchmarking Study notes that nearly half of that... READ MORE

The American Retirement Association (ARA) has submitted its comment letter to the Department of Labor (DOL) on the fiduciary rule re-proposal.ARA has long supported aligning the interests of retirement plan advisers to individual retirement investors through a best interest standard. The comment... READ MORE

A new evaluation paints a gloomy picture of the aftermath of the Labor Department’s fiduciary proposal.The comment letter, submitted on behalf of a number of financial services firms and broker dealers, notes that “…the undersigned firms have independently concluded that the proposed rule contains... READ MORE

MassMutual Retirement Services is introducing co-browsing to enhance online services to retirement plan savers, employers, financial advisors and TPAs.Co-browsing, which is used only when a client grants MassMutual permission, allows retirement plan customers to more closely interact with... READ MORE

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) says that the Labor Department’s fiduciary proposal represents a “fractured approach” that will “confuse retirement investors, financial institutions, and advisers.”In a comment letter regarding the Labor Department proposal, FINRA says that a... READ MORE