What’s In a Brand Name? Great-West Will Find Out
By creating the new brand, “Empower,” for its US retirement business, Great-West Financial resolves the identity crisis that followed acquisitions of Putnam and JPMorgan Retirement Plan Services.
Experts Assess the Latest on ‘QLACs’
Mark Fortier, Prudential's Srinivas Reddy, ERISA lawyer Fred Reish, Steve Shepherd of Aon EnnisKnupp and Jody Strakosch shared their views with RIJ about recent statements by Treasury official Mark Iwry (above) on in-plan annuities in target date funds.
Johnny RetirementSeed
Steve Vernon, actuary-turned-retirement-guru, travels the country spreading retirement planning wisdom... and promoting his books and website: "I joke that I’m a ‘one-rat’ experiment. I’m living the lifestyle I advocate. And then I write about it.”
NARPP Hopes to Do What Auto-Enrollment Hasn’t
The National Association of Retirement Plan Participants aims to boost 401(k) deferral rates through behavioral finance techniques. Despite its name, its direct ties are to plan sponsors and providers. (Photo of NARPP founder Laurie Rowley by Rob Myers.)
Featured
“Neuromarketing” research can improve participant communications
“Rather than warn how important saving for a pension is, we should emphasize how people who save can enjoy their pension later on," said Joyce Vonken, a marketing intelligence specialist at the Dutch pension fund ABP.
Banks Earn Record First-Half Annuity Income
Second-quarter 2014 annuity commissions reached $916.8 million, the second-highest quarterly mark on record, according to the Michael White Bank Annuity Fee Income Report.
News
MassMutual settles part of excessive fee lawsuit for $9.5 million
MassMutual has settled its lawsuit with Goldenstar retirement plan participants, which accused the retirement plan provider of violating its fiduciary responsibilities when it received revenue-sharing payments from asset managers that provided investment options to their plan.
American Funds, Vanguard popular among DC asset managers
A new Cogent Report evaluates the competitive positions of 47 leading DC investment managers on a variety of metrics, including identifying those that plan sponsor advisors have recently started or stopped recommending to clients.
