With participants thinking erroneously that there is a guaranteed paycheck built into their retirement plan, the production of an “Income Target Date Fund” has grown exponentially. Since 2020, some target-date series now include a form of guaranteed income, providing participants with a more predictable future. Learn more about the TDF with an Annuity.

Beneficiary designations are a critical yet often neglected aspect of retirement plans. Many participants mistakenly believe that their retirement plan assets will be distributed according to their will or trust. However, retirement accounts are governed by their own rules, meaning the named beneficiary on the account will typically inherit the funds, regardless of other estate planning documents. Learn more

Many advisors recommend saving 15% of pre-tax earnings, including any employer match, to prepare for a secure retirement — but to accomplish this, timing is crucial. According to Forbes, savers need to begin by age 35 to retire comfortably by age 65; to retire by age 62, they’d need to get started by 25. Looking under the hood at participant data allows plan sponsors to better tailor strategies that help participants accelerate savings goals — and avoid financial speed bumps along the way.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of that committee, introduced the Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act.

Sponsors of 401(k) plans would have to permit employees as young as 18 to make contributions under the bill. However, their involvement would be restricted. Learn more about those restrictions.

The Silver Tsunami is headed ashore, as “Peak 65” is expected to usher in an average of 11,000 retirement age Americans daily through the end of 2024 — the highest ever recorded. And a lot of them plan to keep working. Pew Charitable Trusts reports that 62% of workers 65 and older are engaged in full-time employment versus 47% in 1987 — and the expansion of seniors’ participation in the job market is projected to continue. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than one in five older adults will be in the labor force by 2032. For organizations, this demographic shift presents a unique opportunity to leverage the wealth of experience offered by senior professionals. Read more

On December 20, 2023, the IRS released Notice 2024-02¹ containing a slew of guidance on 12 provisions of SECURE Act 2.0. Read a summary of selected segments.

A recent Vanguard report sheds light on the pressing challenges faced by retirees across different income brackets. The findings reveal that lower income workers allocate a significantly larger portion of their pre-retirement income to meet their daily needs, leaving them with a substantial shortfall in retirement readiness — even when factoring in Social Security benefits.

Plan sponsors can take proactive steps to help participants better prepare for a secure retirement to ensure that all employees, regardless of income level, have a fighting chance at a comfortable retirement. Learn more about those key steps.

It is crucial for companies to regularly benchmark and compare their benefits packages to their industry peers in order to maintain their competitive advantage and status. Offering a competitive benefits package, however, can be challenging for plan sponsors due to budgetary constraints.

But one industry leader says a plan sponsor should ideally reflect the investment "necessary to attract and retain the talent needed to drive business success" in their
"total rewards budget," which includes both benefits and compensation. That "right" amount of budget, he says, will depend on a number of factors. Find out more.

On October 31, 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its “Proposed Retirement Security Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice Fiduciary.” If finalized, a new definition of an “investment advice fiduciary” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) would apply, likely resulting in more individuals becoming fiduciaries. Learn more.