While the debate about whether advisors should be selling proprietary funds seems to be all but over, with many broker dealers like Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley selling off their asset management... Read More
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Technical competence
BY NAPA Net Staff | 3/11/2013
Once again, the SEC is going to take a look (free registration required) at 12(b)1 and other distribution fees, making it a priority in the next few months. According to a Deputy Director from the... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 3/1/2013
Editor’s Note: This is the last in a series of posts by speakers at the 2013 NAPA/ASPPA 401(k) Summit, March 3-5, 2013 in Las Vegas. Jonathon Dues, Senior Vice President, Business Development/... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 2/27/2013
A Brookings Institution report released Feb. 26 recommends curtailing the benefits for top earners to boost tax revenues. Defined contribution plans reward higher earners who would save anyway... Read More
BY Rick Meigs | 2/21/2013
It’s the age-old issue of how to increase employee participation in a 401(k) plan. We know how crucial it is to the overall success of the plan – particularly to the highly compensated employee group... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 2/21/2013
With age comes wisdom, but so does debt. According to research by LIMRA, few Gen X and Gen Y investors believe they’re very knowledgeable about making financial decisions — though more than twice as... Read More
BY Brian Graff | 2/19/2013
The Washington Post on Feb. 17 published yet another article attacking the 401(k) system. Fueled by academic studies with a clear anti-401(k) agenda, these articles seem to revel in the entirely... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 2/19/2013
A Feb. 17 Washington Post article highlights the plight of Americans who are unprepared for retirement. The article enumerates several factors driving this, including social changes, the continued... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 2/15/2013
Here’s another tool for your participant education tool box, courtesy of Milliman: The latest installment in their “Insight” series, “Ten things your 401(k) wants you to know,” lays out some good,... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 2/14/2013
401(k) plans don't work for low- and middle-income Americans, Jack Lew, President Obama’s nominee to replace Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary, said yesterday. Lew’s comment came in response to... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 2/13/2013
Christopher Carosa of FiduciaryNews notes that two years ago, the SEC’s botched proposal for a uniform fiduciary standard was greeted with a uniform chorus of derision from both Congress and the... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 2/7/2013
Currently, about one-third of eligible employees don’t participate in the 401(k) plan their employer offers, according to the DOL. One proven solution, of course, is automatic enrollment. But while... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 2/5/2013
Plan participants learn in different ways, so one-size-fits-all education programs are less likely to work. According to research with over 6,000 participants, OneAmerica found that there’s a... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/30/2013
Will the American Taxpayer Relief Act’s scheme to raise tax revenue by allowing 401(k) participants to more easily convert to Roth plans actually net the government the amount projected — $12 billion... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/28/2013
While it may be a marketing advantage to be a named fiduciary, many advisors aren’t permitted to do so, and there are instances where it doesn’t make sense. The law firm Lewis and Roca lays out... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/24/2013
A federal appellate court dismissed claims by a few BoA DB participants that bank-affiliated funds were used improperly. Upholding a lower court's ruling, the appeals court dismissed the suit on... Read More
BY Jim Farley | 1/17/2013
When all is said and done, if participants are not saving enough to retire comfortably and plan sponsors are not receiving the quality of service they need, it matters little that the Department of... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/17/2013
Editor’s Note: This is the latest in a series of posts by speakers at the 2013 NAPA/ASPPA Summit, March 3-5, 2013 in Las Vegas. Doug Fisher of Fidelity Investments — who will team up with EBRI’s... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/16/2013
While about 87% of full-time state and local government employees participate in DB plans, this leaves a significant number who are in DC plans. A lot of those DC participants are higher education... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/11/2013
Who are America's fastest-growing class of millionaires? Police officers, firefighters and teachers, Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard noted recently. Doubt it? Then ask yourself: What is the net... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/7/2013
This may be news only to the president and Congress, but not only do American workers think the government should take steps to enhance tax incentives for retirement plans like 401(k)s, but most don’... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 1/3/2013
If your clients’ New Year’s resolutions include being a better plan fiduciary, they are certainly part of a small and heady group. Here’s a list of 10 resolutions they might consider, provided by the... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 12/26/2012
The death of DB plans is not greatly exaggerated, according to a Vanguard survey of DB plans. Though most do not anticipate any major changes in design or status going forward, based on surveys with... Read More
BY Fred Barstein | 12/21/2012
Informal research shows that DC industry spends over $1 billion annually on employee education, and maybe more if the time and efforts of advisors are included. But what’s the ROI? The consensus is... Read More
BY NAPA Net Staff | 12/19/2012
Editor’s Note: This article was published in the November/December issue of "Market Beat," published by the National Tax Sheltered Accounts Association (NTSAA), the nation's only independent, non-... Read More
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