Service Providers

Target-date funds (TDFs) continue to expand in usage and popularity — but there are some things the Department of Labor (DOL) wants you to know about TDFs that you may have overlooked.When the DOL published its “Target Date Retirement Funds — Tips for ERISA Plan Fiduciaries” in 2013, I was pleased... READ MORE

Knocked down twice by the D.C. District Court, the National Association for Fixed Annuities has filed an emergency motion asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to halt the rule while NAFA’s appeal proceeds.Noting that “Nearly six critical months have passed since NAFA first sought a... READ MORE

Though acknowledging that the fiduciary rule is likely to cause “significant changes” in how the industry operates, along with “substantial compliance costs,” and “economic losses,” the federal judge who recently rejected a legal challenge to the Labor Department’s fiduciary rule won’t hold up... READ MORE

Every year, the IRS issues thresholds and contribution levels relevant to retirement benefits, as well as their administration and taxation. In MarketBeat, Susan Diehl provides 2017 levels that will be of special interest to those who serve, provide and rely on retirement plans. READ MORE

There are few fans of the Form 5500. But that does not absolve most employee benefit plans with more than 100 participants from the obligation to file one. Data analytics firm miEdge and Wrangle LLC, which only works with Form 5500s, has prepared a list of points to keep in mind about the form.1.... READ MORE

The great majority of people face financial stresses of some kind, and that includes retirees. A recent article takes a look at some of the key challenges they face and their impact on retirement benefits.In “Retirees at Risk: Five Key Challenges Retirees Face and the Impact on Their Retirement... READ MORE

Plan fiduciaries who acted “in blatant disregard of the express terms of the plan document and of their fiduciary duties” came out on the losing end of a lawsuit. An investigation by the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) determined that, after California... READ MORE

Suppose you have a client who is 59½ years old, and still employed with the employer. He wants to roll his 457(b) account to the employer’s 403(b) plan. In Tech Talk, Ellie Lowder tells us if he can. READ MORE

The effective date of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) fiduciary rule is still months away, but Bank of America Merrill Lynch has taken another step in anticipation of its impact.According to ThinkAdvisor, the broker-dealer has said that, effective immediately, purchases of mutual funds in existing... READ MORE