Research Roundup

We summarize five papers: “The Sustainability of U.S. Household Finances," “The Great Debt Boom: 1949-2013,” “Living Below the Line: Economic Insecurity and Older Americans in the States, 2016,” “Building Emergency Savings Through Employer-Sponsored Rainy Day Accounts,” and “Dodged a Bullet? ‘Rothification’ Likely to Reduce Retirement Saving.”

Amid ‘Trump Bump,’ annuities go begging

By Editor Test
LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute's third quarter 2017 annuity sales survey reflects the fact that few Americans are taking profits from the aging bull market and locking them into safe retirement income. Pity.

Department of Labor Declares 18-Month ‘Transition Period’ for BICE

By Wagner Law Group
Though the DOL has said it will focus its enforcement policy on compliance assistance, 'private litigants' won't be so gentle, the benefits law firm warned, adding that even the DOL may decide at any time that some compensation systems are unacceptable. (Photo: Marcia Wagner.)

A Bitter Sandwich on Thanksgiving

By Kerry Pechter
An elderly widow recently suffered a bad fall. Her children, one of whom is still paying college tuition for one of the grandchildren, face the prospect of paying $12,000 a month for nursing home care.

Vanguard and BlackRock/iShares dominate October fund flows

By Editorial Staff
'Taxable bond' remained the leading category group in October with $39.1 billion in flows overall, followed by 'International equity,' whose flows more than doubled to $22.2 billion from $9.8 billion in September.

COVER STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

November 23, 2017

The Ambiguity of Tax Deferral

By Kerry Pechter
A failure to agree on whether or not there's 'government money' in tax-deferred savings accounts has complicated our debates over the DOL fiduciary rule, the need for a harmonized fiduciary standard, and the so-called...
November 16, 2017

Wade Pfau’s Latest Book

By Kerry Pechter
'“This book presents the probability-based approach” to retirement spending strategies, Pfau told RIJ in a recent interview. 'If annuities are off the table, here’s what you can do.'
November 9, 2017

Hope, Despair: SPARK Forum Has It All

By Kerry Pechter
At SPARK's retirement conference, Millennium Trust, Paychex and GuidedChoice announced a new workplace IRA plan. Bill Meyer pitched his Social Security-centric planning tool. And BlackRock hinted at new TDFs with a deferred annuity sleeve....