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Ted Godbout

By Ted Godbout | 3/3/2022
The inaugural report from Morningstar’s new retirement research center explores DC plan trends, fees, investment strategies and the continued role of DB plans. One noteworthy area is the broad divergence of plan costs, the 43-page Retirement Plan Landscape Report says. Even though investors pay... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 3/3/2022
A March 1 House subcommittee hearing to address improving retirement security and access to mental health found itself largely debating the Biden administration’s proposed guidance on ESG factors, as well an array of retirement policy proposals.      The hearing by the House Education and Labor’s... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 3/2/2022
Plan participants in Schwab’s self-directed brokerage accounts (SDBAs) who remained resilient throughout 2021 saw their balances end the year on a strong note.  According to Charles Schwab’s SDBA Indicators Report, the average account balance across all participant accounts finished 2021 at $352,... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 3/1/2022
To mark the start of Women’s History Month, Fidelity has released a new study revealing certain saving and investing behaviors that stand out among younger women who are making strides in breaking down financial boundaries.  According to the firm’s 2022 Money Moves Study, women currently ages 18-... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/28/2022
For plan sponsors wondering what they can do to help diverse workers increase their retirement savings, a new paper outlines plan features and strategies that can help bolster savings for underserved workers. In Improving Retirement Readiness for Underrepresented Groups, Alight explains that... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/28/2022
Despite expectations that third-party model portfolios will dominate strategies and play a significant role in decision making for advisors, a recent survey finds that few new advisors have actually adopted such tools over the past year. Instead, growth is coming almost entirely from a select... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/25/2022
The impact of 401(k) loan defaults on retirement savings can be significant, but new research by EBRI shows that automatically enrolling participants in a 401(k)-loan insurance program can help reduce defaults and improve outcomes.   While Department of Labor data, overall, indicates that loan... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/24/2022
Guidance on the SECURE Act, missing participants and student loan payments are among the items listed on the updated 2021-2022 Priority Guidance Plan of the Treasury Department and IRS.  The updated Treasury/IRS plan released Feb. 22 sets forth guidance priorities for the 12-month period from July... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/24/2022
“Pennies” over “percent”? A new study finds that a simple change in information architecture, such as how the savings rate is framed, can lead to a significant boost in savings behavior among lower-income employees.   Conducted in association with the Voya Behavioral Finance Institute for... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/23/2022
Given the various ways in which retirement resources might be taxed, a new survey finds that many retirees may be in for a surprise this year.    Nearly half of all households that receive Social Security benefits might pay taxes this year on a portion of their benefits, according to the survey by... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/23/2022
A growing proportion of retirees are depleting their DC plan lump-sum payments at faster rates than previously seen and may be regretting that decision to withdraw all their money, a new study finds.  On average, one in three retirees (34%) who took a lump sum from their DC plan depleted it within... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/22/2022
While DB plans have benefited from alternative investments for years, a new paper suggests that DC plan fiduciaries may want to consider such investments as part of a multi-asset portfolio.    In Alternative Investments in Defined Contribution Plans, the Defined Contribution Institutional... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/22/2022
Given that strategies that worked for DC plans in the past may be less successful in the future, it will be critical to incorporate forward-looking market views to keep participants on track, the firm suggests in a new paper.  In “What our Long-Term Capital Market Assumptions Mean for Defined... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/18/2022
A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers has reintroduced legislation to test innovative portable benefit designs for the ever-expanding independent U.S. workforce. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN), along with Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), introduced the Portable Benefits for... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/18/2022
Despite the Great Resignation, saving for retirement is still very much a priority, as Fidelity’s IRA and DC plan savers set new records in 2021. Assisted by strong market gains and employers helping to keep workers on track, Fidelity Investments’ 2021 year-end analysis of more than 35 million IRA... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/16/2022
For both small and large retirement plans, average total plan costs for 401(k)s continued to decline in 2021, with plan investment fees leading the way, according to the latest edition of the 401k Averages Book.  The 22nd edition of the book shows that all scenarios saw a year-over-year decrease... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/16/2022
The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled with six investment advisers and six broker-dealers over charges that they failed to file and deliver their client or Form CRS customer relationship summaries. In some cases, the firms also failed to include all the information necessary to... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/15/2022
Amid demographic shifts, economic challenges and a global pandemic, a new study finds that many financial planners are underestimating their clients’ financial anxiety.  On average, financial planners thought financial anxiety affected about half (49%) of their clients. However, nearly three-... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/15/2022
NEPC is out with its 2021 Defined Contribution (DC) Plan Trends and Fee Survey, examining current plan investment trends and innovations across major sectors. While target date funds (TDFs) continue to be the “turnkey solution,” NEPC notes that one of the more prominent developments is that menus... READ MORE
By Ted Godbout | 2/15/2022
Key members of the House of Representatives have reintroduced legislation to allow retirement plan sponsors to provide annuities as a default option in their DC plans.    Reps. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Tim Walberg (R-MI), who serve together on the House Committee on Education and Labor’s Health... READ MORE

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