Human Resources: Retirement Benefits

Emotional Stages of Retirement
A Conversation about the Workplace and Retirement Plan Implications of the Emotional Stages of Retirement with Rusty Field, Vice President of Financial Education and Planning Services.

Benefits Governance
Governance comprises processes and systems by which organizations of all sizes operate. From HR.com´s Jeff Chad.

Trends in Employee Benefits: What's Hot and What's Not
HR.com´s Jeff Chad discusses using employee benefits as a tool to attract, retain, and grow good employees.

Changing The Employee Mindset From Entitlement to Engagement: It Can Be Done!
New Guide Features Tips To Motivate Workers To Make Critical Benefits Decisions

Few Companies Offer Workers Online Access To Total Compensation Information
In its survey, Watson Wyatt found that more than half of surveyed employers (55 percent) offer workers Web access to personalized health benefits information

Buck Consultants
Buck Consultants

How to Retire Young - summary
Not enough time to read the latest books? Enjoy these three reviews and catch up on the industry buzz.

Fidelity's World: The Secret Life and Public Power of the Mutual Fund Giant - summary
Not enough time to read the latest books? Enjoy these three reviews and catch up on the industry buzz.

Metlife Benefits Benchmarking Report
Only 22% of employees in small firms (2-9 employees) are satisfied with the benefits that they receive through their employer, compared to 44% of employees in the largest companies (25,000+ employees).

Hybrid Plans Critical to Retirement Security of Millions of Workers
House Committee Considering Legislation to Clarify Plan Legality

Small Business Owners Look to Financial Planning Firms for Retirement Solutions that Benefit Both Employer and Employee
Employers often find that their needs for sheltering income and planning for retirement are quite different than the needs of their employees.

AMERICAN EXPRESS FINANCIAL ADVISORS BIRTHDAY ADVICE FOR BOOMERS TURNING 59 1/2: DONT CASH IN RETIREMENT SAVINGS
As the leading edge of the nation's 76 million baby boomers turn 59 Â½ beginning July 1, they will face a new set of opportunities

AMERICAN EXPRESS RETIREMENT SERVICES ANNOUNCES NEW CLIENT RELATIONSHIP MANAGER FOR SOUTHEASTERN TERRITORY
New Addition to Retirement Plan and Investment Client Service Team: Brian Crisp

Erie County Decision Could Cost Retirees Their Health Insurance
Extending Benefits Could Up Firm Liabilities by $114 Billion

PENSION Plans and Conflicted Consultants
... performance of retirement-plan fund managers should suffer, CFOs may have a harder time fending off charges of not fulfilling fiduciary obligations under ERISA ...

AMERICAN EXPRESS RETIREMENT SERVICES INTRODUCES NEW COMPREHENSIVE RETIREMENT PLAN SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION MODEL TO PLAN SPONSORS
BluePrintSM helps plan sponsors define, measure and achieve success with their retirement plan

Hewitt Study Shows Only Modest Improvement in U.S. Employees' 401(k) Saving and Investing Habits
Despite Employer Education Efforts, Research Shows Slow Progress in Employee Retirement Saving and Investing

YOUNG and restless face need to save for future
... Louis-based vice president at MetLife. A recent survey of MetLife clients and employers found that 40 percent of workers ages 21 ...

Regulatory Challenges Hindering Phased Retirement Programs
Watson Wyatt Retirement Expert Testifies at Special Committee on Aging Hearing.

UNDERSTANDING the Social Security Debate: A Series of No-cost ...
... different and sometimes conflicting perspectives. Speakers include: William J. Arnone, partner, Human Capital Practice at Ernst & Young.

REGULATORY Challenges Hindering Phased Retirement Programs; Watson ...
Valerie Paganelli, a senior retirement consultant at Watson Wyatt Worldwide, testified that, in preparation for the coming labor shortages, a growing number of ...

Health Insurance Premiums Q&A: Taxable Benefits for Domestic Partners
Are the employer-provided premium payments on behalf of my domestic partner taxable to me?Â Anthony J. Eppert provides the answer.

Retirement Programs an Increasing Challenge for Financial Executives
Hewitt Survey Reveals Short-Term Concerns Include Controlling Growth and Volatility of Plan Costs, Increasing Employee Education Efforts

It's Time to Retire Traditional Retirement Planning
The dominant needs of Â workforces have evolved considerably over the years, writes Peter G. Burki.

Proposed IRS Regulations Leave Hurdles to Phased Retirement Plan Implementation
The study cites specific problems with the regulations, while explaining the mutual benefits employers and employees would see from implementing these plans.

Proposed New 403(b) Regulations
IRS has issued comprehensive guidance on Section 403(b) plansÂ usually to the employees of tax-exempt organizations. This guidance is generally effective on January 1, 2006:from Adam Cantor.

BET Founder Robert L Johnson to Make Key Investment in RolloverSystems, and Take Board Seat
Robert L. Johnson, is making a significant equity investment in a company that promises to fundamentally change the way millions of Americans roll over their retirement accounts.

ASPPA Gives IRS Testimony- Normal Retirement Age
ASPPA Executive Director/CEO, Brian H. Graff, Esq., APM provided testimony today at an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hearing on a proposed amendment regarding Distributions from a Pension Plan Under a Phased Retirement Program

Principal's Well-Being Index: March 2005
New Study Shows Americans More Realistic About Social Security and More Satisfied with their Employer Sponsored Benefits

Pension Funding Reform: An Analysis of the Bush Administration's Proposal
An examines the effect of the proposed pension reforms unveiled by the Bush Administration on January 10, 2005; from Employment Policy Foundation.

Automatic Rollover Rules for Mandatory Distribution from Retirement Plans
Plan Sponsors are permitted to cash out a participant's retirement plan account, without consent from that participant, if the value of his or her benefit is $5,000 or less and the employee has terminated employment; from Brown Rudnick.

Careermetasearch.com Adds Rolloversystems Functionality to Job Search Website
RolloverSystems, Inc., and Careermetasearch.com^TM, are pleased to announce the addition of a RolloverMarket^TM IRA Rollover Center to the Careermetasearch.com website.

AFFLUENT BOOMERS WHO SEEK FINANCIAL ADVICE ARE MORE LIKELY TO REACH RETIREMENT VISIONS
As millions of baby boomers prepare for life´s most expensive undertaking - retirement - a new survey by American Express Financial Advisors Inc. finds that those who seek help from a financial advisor save nearly twice as much for retirement than those who don´t seek advice.

METLIFE RETIREMENT & SAVINGS OFFERS NEW 401(K) ONLINE EDUCATION SERVICES THROUGH MORNINGSTAR LEARNING STATION
MetLife Retirement Â & Savings announced today that it has added the Morningstar Learning Station as a new source of online educational content on the participant web site for MetLife´s 401(k) clients.

How Do Executives Investfor Retirement?
When investing for retirement, executives tend to favor fixed-rate options and large-cap funds over other asset classes, according to the premiere edition of the Clark Consulting Executive Retirement Report.

Recently Issued Guidance on the Automatic Rollover of Mandatory Qualified Retirement Plan Distributions
ACTION REQUIRED PRIOR TO MARCH 28, 2005 : Â Department of Labor recently issued final "safe harbor" regulations relating to the automatic rollover of certain mandatory distributions from qualified retirement plans that contain a "cash out" feature.

India Paves Way for New Pension System
PacificBridge news brief: On January 1, 2005, India established the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). Its primary function will be to oversee the creation of India´s new pension system (NPS).

Employer Beware: The Need for Your 401(k) Plan Provider to Follow Department of Labor Rules in a Post-Enron Environment
Does your 401(k) plan provider accept its fiduciary obligation to follow U.S. Department of Labor guidance when serving as "directed trustee" of your plan? Adam B. Cantor discusses issues of liability under ERISA.

Nearly Half of U.S. Workforce Financially Ill-Prepared for Retirement
Hudson Survey: Three Quarters Expect to Work Well Beyond Retirement

Big Issues Weigh Heavily on the Minds of Workers
Rebecca Kubica, HR.com´s Benefits Analyst, recently conducted her monthly analyst update. What follows is the first in a series of articles based on her presentation.

Indonesia: Changes in Social Security Requirements for Expats
-In June 2004, Indonesia´s Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration announced a decree requiring all workers in Indonesia to join the state-owned social security program Jamsostek.

IRS Adresses Phased Retirement
-IRS is proposing to eliminate a sinificant obstacle to phased retirement arrangements under qualified pension plans.

Assisted Living Costs in the U.S.: A MetLife Market Survey
-Assisted living is becoming an increasingly popular option for older Americans.

The Changing Landscape of Retirement Planning Management: HR Meets Finance
-Priorities for employee benefit plan sponsors have forever changed.

Retirement Education That Works: A Personalized Approach
-It is critical to help employees understand their role in the retirement planning process.

Is It Time To Update Your Asset Allocation Strategy?
-There are times when you may be willing to increase investment risk in seeking to capture growth opportunities.

Coping with the Economy
-Survey on retirement programs.

Why Rebalance Your Portfolio?
-Annual rebalancing is key to the long-term health of your portfolio.

Reinventing Retirement
-As health and life expectancy improve, the concept of retirement-and the impact of an extended retirement on retirement benefits-becomes more challenging.

Employees More Pessimistic About Future Retirement
-Latest research released on defined contribution pension plan members.

Pension Crisis Prompting Majority of Surveyed Companies to Change or Consider Changing Their Plans
-Burden is increasingly shifting to individuals to fund own retirement.

Towers Perrin Study Finds Views of Retirement in Corporate America Changing Rapidly
-Employers and employees see shifting roles, many employees not prepared to manage and finance their retirement years.

Korea Introduces Mandatory Retirement Pension Systems
-Companies in Korea employing more than five workers are required to establish retirement pension systems for their employees.

DC Plan Sponsor Research - Executive Summary
-Support remains high for DC pension plans in Canada, with few sponsors considering a major change.

Social Security Reports Help Assess Retirement Income Needs
-Investing for retirement is probably one of your most critical financial goals.

A Cure For The 401k Participant Remorse Epidemic
-Right now millions of Americans who listened to the promises of 401k peddlers are experience what one might call ''participants remorse''.

Common Plan Sponsor Questions and Answers
-Everything you needed to know about plan costs, funds and model portfolios.

Study Finds Millions of Dollars at Stake in Pension Liability Proposals
-The Treasury Department''s proposal boosted pension liabilities by up to $76.9 million.

Buy-Side Stock Analysts Split in Views on Pension Finance ''Crisis''
-Most do consider pension-related financial information when valuing a company.

Why Most 401k Participants Don''t Participate
-The biggest problem is in educating participants in the ways 401ks work and what they can do to make them work better.

Study Finds Companies Use Qualified and Nonqualified Retirement Benefits in Complementary Manner
-Traditional, supplemental role of executive benefits remained the norm in 2002.

Canadian Pension Plans Struggle To Gain Ground Despite Rising Markets
-Mercer releases second quarter 2003 survey of pooled fund performance.

Weathering the Turbulent Storms of Pension Funding
-This article explains why companies that have not been required to make contributions to their pension plans for over a decade are now facing stiff contributions.

Americans View Retirement As Top Savings Priority
-But too few max out 401(k) contributions or set clear retirement savings goals according to recent poll.

Compliance Reminder
-Form 5500 Due July 31, 2003, for most plan sponsors

Book Review: Rich is a State of Mind
-There''s a new book on finances that is shedding light on the concept of managing and planning personal finance and life in general.

Putting the Security Back in Retirement-It May Be Up to You
-Will you continue to be successful in your mission of providing retirement security in the future?

2002 Year in Review
-Last year, there were many financial worries among employers and employees. The year ahead is one of focus, according to a recent survey.

Educating Employees on Self-Directed Investments
-Financial expertise is not enough, it''s understanding employee psychology that matters.

The SIMPLE IRA: An Attractive Option for Smaller Businesses
-Here are some questions and answers about the SIMPLE IRA retirement plan.

The MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends
-Findings from the 2002 National Survey of Employers and Employees

Nearing Retirement? Give Yourself a Financial Check-up
-Taking an in-depth look at your finances and an inventory of your retirement funds approximately five to seven years before retiring will give you time to make adjustments to help you meet your goals when retirement time comes around.

Keeping Track of Your 401(k)
-It is always wise to monitor your own 401(k) account and to learn as much as possible about its accounting and how your retirement money is working for you.

Retirement Or Changing Jobs Entails Key IRA Rollover Decisions
-You may have to make an important decision regarding any distribution you may receive from your employer''s 401(k) plan.

Large Employers Eyeing Retiree Medical Accounts as Alternative to Traditional Plans, Watson Wyatt Study Finds
-A small but increasing number of companies have started to introduce retiree medical accounts as an alternative to their traditional retiree medical benefits.

Why Contribute to a 401(k)?
-The popularity of offering 401(k) plans may be attributed to the fact that they are generally less costly for employers to maintain than traditional defined benefit pension plans.

Commonly-Asked 401(k) Plan Questions
-Answers to several commonly asked questions about 401(k) plans.

Survey of Defined Contribution Retirement Plans Exposes Weaknesses in Plan Management
-Analysis examines trends in 10 countries.

Chamber of Commerce Plan Is Not ERISA Plan, Court Rules
-A local Chamber of Commerce is not an employer for ERISA purposes because its membership rolls extend beyond employers to sole proprietors.

Towers Perrin TP Track Survey Finds Employees' Lack Of Knowledge To Successfully Manage Retirement Savings
-Most employers will continue matching contributions in employer stock to comply with pending legislation.

IRS Issues Sample Amendments for New Tax Law
-The IRS has recently released guidance and sample amendments for implementing the changes in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA).

Reform of Pension System Impacts Employers in Germany
-Germany´s reform of its pension system will impact all employers from January 2002 when sweeping change to labor and tax codes and cutbacks in social benefits take effect.

House Committees Consider Expanding Employer-Provided Investment Advice
-Retirement Security Advice Act (HR 2269) may give participants of employer-provided retirement plans the opportunity to receive investment advice from professionals.

Employer-Provided Retirement Planning Services To Be Excludable
-EGTRRA creates new Section 132 exclusion, effective Jan. 1, 2002.

Will You Be Forced to Make Good on Employee Investment Losses?
-The employer´s responsibility for 401(k) plans may extend further than you know putting your firm at the risk of unexpected liabilities.

US Employers Are Responsible For 401(k) Investment Results!
HR needs to be aware of their fiduciary responsibility in managing 401(k) investment risks. A falling stock market brings losses and in the litigious climate of the US, losses bring lawyers.

Retirement Planning for Family Business Owners
The retirement planning issues facing family business owners.

The Principal Financial Well-Being Index: 1st Qtr 2001
1st Quarter 2001 results on employee''s concerns about their financial well-being.

Bankruptcy Reform Bill Includes Pension Measures
The Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act of 2001 (H.R. 333) includes several measures that, if enacted, would be welcome news to plan sponsors.

Survey on Financial Planning Resources
This March 2001 survey on Financial Planning Resources in the Workplace analyzes the depth in which employers are providing key financial planning resources and offers insight into which services are most important to employees.

FAQ-What is a 401(k) Plan?
Frequently asked ask@hr.com question regarding 401(k) plans.

Transportation Benefits May Be Excluded From Compensation
Under a new change in the US tax code, employers may now exclude salary reductions for qualified transportation benefits when determining compensation for purposes of qualified plans.

Age Related Stories from Ford, Delta Air Lines and Daimler-Chrysler
Three situations, three outcomes and three lessons.

IRS Announces Dollar Limits for 2001
The IRS has issued the 2001 annual dollar limits for cost-of-living adjustments related to pension plans.

IRS Moves Against "Split-Life" Insurance Policies
The IRS has issued guidance (Notice 2001-10) that would eliminate the favorable tax treatment of a popular executive benefit known as "split-dollar life insurance."

ASPA Files Comments on Proposed New Comparability Regs
The American Society of Pension Actuaries comments on regulations proposed regarding the nondiscrimination requirements for certain defined contribution plans

Cash Balance Pension Plans
A short review of the hows and whys of cash balance pension plans.

EEOC Regulations Impose New Restrictions On Use Of ADEA Waivers
Providing a major boon to employee rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently finalized new regulations stating that, under the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 (OWBPA), employees cannot be required to "tender back" consideration received for signing a waiver prior to the institution of a lawsuit challenging the validity of that waiver.

Ground-Breaking Workforce Agreement
The agreement will provide the company with a "supplemental workforce" -- recent retirees who will continue to work as on-call support service technicians.

Pension Conversion dispute at IBM focuses on age discrimination
The high profile dispute over the 1999 pension conversion at IBM crystallized at the annual stockholders meeting on April 25th with the defeat of an employee -sponsored resolution.