More companies are offering them. Will an automatic enrollment 401k fix our retirement savings blues? The trend could become the norm. Human resources firm Aon Hewitt surveyed 120 large U.S. companies in 2010 and found that 60% of them automatically enrolled workers in defined contribution retirement plans such as a 401k. In Aon Hewitt’s 2006 [...]

The Need to Attract and Retain Employees Employers have increasing been the providers of retirement plans for employees and this has created a dilemma for many small businesses1. When competing for talent with larger rivals, not having a plan might make it difficult to attract or retain quality employees. However, the fixed costs of administrating [...]

You might have a chance to go Roth with your 401k or 403b account. Big news for participants in 401k, 403b and 457 retirement plans. The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 contained an interesting sidelight concerning employer-sponsored retirement plans. Some of these retirement plans are now allowing in-plan Roth conversions. This means: You may [...]

Some tax consequences to remember. There are times when people really need money – and in those times, a retirement account may seem like a conveniently liquid resource to tap. What’s the harm in taking early distributions from a tax-deferred retirement plan? Well, the tax bite could be considerable. Big taxes may await you. If [...]

What should you store in one easily accessible place? You might be surprised how many people have financial documents scattered all over the house – on the kitchen table, underneath old newspapers, in the hall closet, in the basement. If this describes your financial “filing system”, you may have a tough time keeping tabs on [...]