Despite a decline in confidence, most Americans believe their finances remain relatively strong and they can still meet their long-term financial goals, according to findings from New York Life’s Wealth Watch Survey.  Even as inflation remains elevated and the cost of everyday goods continues to... READ MORE

New polling by Gallup finds that American workers are retiring at later ages than those in the past three decades.  In 1991, U.S. retirees, on average, reported that they retired at age 57, but now the average reported retirement age is up to 61. Meanwhile, non-retirees’ target retirement age has... READ MORE

After a precipitous downturn in the market, registered investment advisors say they are leaning more toward considering active management, according to new survey results.  Conducted by Ignites Research among 125 advisors between July 7 and July 15, two-thirds (66%) of respondents said they are... READ MORE

The SEC is not trying to force funds to invest in ESG, but instead is seeking to make sure disclosures are consistent and reliable so that investors have the information they need, an SEC branch chief told delegates at the 2022 NAPA DC Fly-In Forum.   In “The Environment for ESG—an SEC Perspective... READ MORE

Announcement of the official limits is still a few months away, but early projections from Mercer suggest that nearly all qualified retirement plan limits will increase by unprecedented amounts next year.   The 2023 limits will reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers... READ MORE

Three Senate Democrats have written to Fidelity, raising concerns once again about the “dangers” associated with investing in bitcoin and digital assets, especially within retirement plans.  In their July 26 letter to Fidelity Investments CEO Abigail Johnson, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Senate’s... READ MORE

Inflation is now the top obstacle to saving for a comfortable retirement, according to a new survey from Schwab Retirement Plan Services.  The firm’s annual nationwide survey of 401(k) plan participants finds that workers rank inflation (45%) ahead of other obstacles, including keeping up with... READ MORE

Speaking July 26 at the 2022 NAPA D.C. Fly-In Forum, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration outlined key priorities of the department, including finalizing the ESG rule, an update to the fiduciary rule, crypto and cybersecurity.  Ali Khawar, who has... READ MORE

Bob Doll’s theme that 2022 will be a “tug of war between earnings tailwinds and valuation headwinds” still appears to be holding true, according to a mid-year update to his annual top 10 predictions.  In fact, the investment landscape will remain difficult in the near term until the outlook for... READ MORE