The battle is on for data in the DC market — and the stakes are high.At the second annual Envestnet Retirement Symposium last week in Chicago, it was clear that some record keepers are not ready to share participant or even plan sponsor data, citing privacy concerns. But MassMutual’s Tina Wilson... READ MORE

Sometimes, the DC industry focuses on the DOL’s proposed conflict-of-interest of rule like it affects everyone the same way. But not only could the rule affect advisors differently than it could record keepers, broker dealers, RIAs and plan sponsors, it could also affect the three types of plan... READ MORE

Bob Francis has a rich history in the advisor sold DC market. Francis headed up the retirement group for the record keeper now known as Voya before moving on to partner with Bill Chetney at NRP, where he helped sell the firm to LPL. These days Francis is an independent industry consultant.When we... READ MORE

In the DC market, what starts up market usually migrates down. So we asked Lew Minsky, executive director of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), an association of institutional consultants, record keepers and money managers, what’s in store for the mid and small... READ MORE

Will the pending DOL fiduciary rule hamper financial services firms’ ability to calm nervous investors during market volatility like we experienced last month? As reported in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Fidelity claims that they will be restricted if the DOL rule is implemented... READ MORE

Just as Mark Twain wrote to the New York Journal after his death was reported in their obituary section, the death of Blind Squirrels in the DC market is greatly exaggerated.Some experts whine about the "incompetence" of these retirement plan amateurs and the "damage" they cause to DC plans and... READ MORE

There’s been a lot of discussion recently about whether the "ideal plan" is realistic. Based on the percentage of small and mid-size plans, where the most help is needed, using all aspects of the ideal plan, the concerns are real. But what’s the alternative?To recap, the ideal plan includes: Auto... READ MORE

With a renewed emphasis by companies, the government and the press on retirement planning, the question is, from where will the next generation of advisors come?According to a recent Reuters report, 40% of all advisors are going to retire in the next decade, with 35% now 55 years old or older. The... READ MORE

The lure of big plans with larger assets and high-profile clients seems too much to resist for most advisors. Who doesn’t like to brag about their DC AUM? Advisors’ business models evolve to service larger, more sophisticated plan sponsors, which often forces these same advisors to abandon the... READ MORE