American households that adopt some or all of five key financial wellness behaviors are more likely to be saving more and better positioned for building wealth, but “retirement savings” is one of the most difficult behaviors to adopt, according to the findings of a new report. Hearts & Wallets... READ MORE

In the increasingly escalating battle over the use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in determining retirement investments, congressional Democrats are pushing back. The latest salvo comes from Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) who reintroduced legislation—the Freedom to Invest in a... READ MORE

In what appears to take direct aim at cryptocurrency, newly proposed amendments by the Securities and Exchange Commission would expand the current custody rule to include any client assets of which an adviser has custody.  The Commission voted 4-1, with Republican Commissioner Mark Uyeda voting in... READ MORE

Lower-cost collective investment trusts (CITs) continue to eat away at mutual funds’ hold on target date funds and are expected to be the primary target date vehicle in 2023, a new report suggests. Consider that at the end of 2017, mutual fund-based target-dates (TDs) held 63% of target-date... READ MORE

While average account balances decreased by 20% in 2022, participant behavior in retirement plans mostly remained positive, as most continued to maintain a long-term view on their retirement savings goals.   Why? Continued adoption of automatic enrollment over the last two decades and the use of... READ MORE

Newly released data from year-end 2022 shows that the volume and dollar amount of 401(k) loans and hardship withdrawals decreased, but there were some nuances to the findings.  In a new quarterly report that draws on data from more than 3 million 401(k) plan participants, Bank of America’s 401(k)... READ MORE

Enactment of the SECURE 2.0 Act, ongoing industry innovations, and the aim to provide greater personalization are among the many opportunities that plan sponsors have to align DC plan features, practices and investments with participant needs. Indeed, the need for greater personalization of the... READ MORE

A new risk alert from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warns that some firms are still not meeting their obligations under Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) and encourages broker-dealers (BDs) to review their practices and procedures to address the issues raised. The SEC’s Division of... READ MORE

In the face of prolonged economic uncertainty and volatility, many investors are rethinking what life after retirement may look like and are adjusting their priorities accordingly. According to Nationwide Retirement Institute’s eighth annual Advisor Authority, nearly 7 in 10 (69%) non-retired... READ MORE