Phyllis Borzi, Savior of Tax Deferral
The DOL wants the investing experience of IRA rollover owners to look and feel like the experience that IRA rollover owners knew when they were participants—an online, low-cost, education-oriented,...
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Confronting the Fiscal Bogeyman
'The solution... is to fix the problem of deficient demand not by attempting to further loosen monetary conditions, but by boosting public spending,' says our guest columnist, an economist...
Americans like Robo-Advice: Survey by Capital One Investing
The survey also showed that Americans would rather lose weight or travel than save for retirement.
Bad Apples in the Brokerage Business
A new study from the University of Chicago asserts that "some firms 'specialize' in misconduct and cater to unsophisticated consumers." Overall, 7.28% of registered brokers and investment advisors...
The Old Folks are Alright (More or Less)
The Society of Actuaries has published the results of focus groups and interviews with middle-class older retirees. Despite little planning, most people seem to muddle through 'reasonably well.'
Mission Improbable
Economist Teresa Ghilarducci of The New School wants a national, mandatory retirement savings plan to complement Social Security--and to replace the ERISA-regulated 401(k) system. I agree that the 401(k)...
Mobile Imperative Drives TIAA Re-Branding
“We approached the design challenge as if the only interface we had was the mobile phone, and then we worked back to design the other channels,” said Ed Moslander,...
Genworth’s “Medically Underwritten” SPIA Offers Higher Payouts
People ages 70 to 95 who are about to enter care can receive monthly payments that are 20% to 50% higher than payments from a comparable conventional life-contingent single...
The RICP, as Seen By Three Graduates of the Program
David W. Smiley, CFP, RICP, of Oxford Asset Management in Durango, CO, Troy Miller, RICP, of Hilliard Lyons in Louisville, KY, and Curtis Cloke, CLTC, RICP, owner of Thrive...
Where an Advisor Can Make a Big Difference
'When one retires now has a much greater effect on one’s retirement income, but workers lack cultural or clearly marked financial incentives to indicate when to retire, and are...
What’s Holding Back the World Economy?
Neither monetary policy nor the financial sector is doing what it’s supposed to do. The flood of liquidity has gone toward creating financial wealth and inflating asset bubbles, rather...
The Prodigal Daughter (and the Annuity)
An elderly woman's remaining wealth was being eroded by a feckless daughter and granddaughter. Could an advisor solve a family mess with an annuity?
DFA and S&P Collaborate on STRIDE Index
STRIDE stands for Shift To Retirement Income and DEcumulation. 'We see the index as an appropriate benchmark for the transition from wealth accumulation to income,' said Philip Murphy, vice...
Comment: Oracle and Others Sued by Schlichter
'There has been an uptick in the number of ERISA fiduciary breach lawsuits filed in the last few months,' writes Clark at the FRAplantools blog. He comments on four...
Retirement Crisis? Not for Educated Couples
A new study shows that about 29% of single women with less than a high school education and 90.2% of married women with at least a college degree education...
The Global Economy’s Marshmallow Test
'The world’s financial intermediaries are not properly steering long-term saving into long-term investments,' writes Sachs, author of 'The End of Poverty' and professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
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The January sell-off in stocks—a delayed reaction to the Fed?
'It is possible that we could have seen outflows from U.S. equity funds in December were it not for the year-end rebalancing trend," said Alina Lamy, author of the...
Advisors Provide Icing, But Retirees Need Cake
'I thought that, if given the right software, the retirement industry would use it to address the non-investment needs of the mass market. I was wrong,' writes our guest...
MetLife To Let VA Liabilities Go
Whether MetLife can or will avoid designation as a Systemically Important Financial Institution is uncertain, but it is clear "that MetLife will no longer write new U.S. retail life...
Do In-Plan Annuities Have a Future?
The latest evidence of the opinions of plan sponsors and plan providers on this topic comes to us via the “2015 Survey of Defined Contribution Viewpoints,” produced by Rocaton...
