Plan Sponsor's Best Managers You Never Heard Of

More firms expect to restore salary cuts and 401(kMore firms expect to restore salary cuts and 401(k) matches soon) matches soon Some hope for workers who’ve suffered pay cuts or reductions in their company’s contribution to 401(k) retirement plans in this brutal recession: A growing number of employers say they’re planning to undo that damage in the next six months.

Average 401(k) Balance Rose 13.5% in Second Quarter The average 401(k) account balance rose 13.5% in the second quarter to $53,900, which was perhaps behind the trend for more investors to increase their deferral savings rate than to decrease it, Fidelity Investments reports.

Five Years of 401(k) Investments Wiped Out The average 401(k) balance is back at the level it was in 2004, according to a report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute—essentially wiping out the past five years of investing.

Nest Egg Can Get Shifted By Your Employer Employers can, and sometimes do, change an employee’s 401(k) investment options even after they’ve been made. This little-understood practice is likely to become more common.