11th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey The results of the 11th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey -- conducted among nearly 3,600 American workers -- found that workers who are offered 401k plans, or similar employee-funded arrangements, exhibit more proactive retirement savings behaviors, demonstrate higher levels of knowledge about retirement investing, and are more confident in their ability to retire comfortably. Source: Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies

Tale of Two Retirements: Workers With and Without 401k Plans New research conducted by the non-profit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies highlights how the availability of 401k and similar employee-funded retirement plans, or lack thereof, may lead workers down divergent paths in saving and planning for retirement, which, in turn, may result in dramatically different outcomes when they reach retirement age. Source: Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies

2009 Risks and Process of Retirement Survey This report presents the results of a telephone survey among Americans aged 45 to 80 conducted by Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Inc., and the Employee Benefit Research Institute on behalf of the Society of Actuaries. The purpose of the study was to evaluate Americans’ awareness of potential financial risks in retirement, how this awareness impacts the management of their finances with respect to retirement, and how Americans are managing the process of leaving the workforce. Source: Society of Actuaries

Roth IRA Conversions from Qualified Plans The recent tax changes have provided taxpayers additional opportunities to convert to a Roth IRA. Determining whether a Roth conversion is the right strategy takes thoughtful consideration. Taxpayers and their advisers will need to be mindful of many factors, but with the right facts, a Roth conversion can provide significant tax savings and accumulation of wealth. Source: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

2010 Guide to ERISA Reporting and Disclosure This 44 page "2010 Guide to ERISA Reporting and Disclosure" was prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers' Human Resource Services practice to help plan sponsors, plan administrators, plan trustees, attorneys and accountants comply with the reporting and disclosure requirements of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers

Avoiding Issues in Audit This is the PowerPoint presentation by Jason Loden, Partner, Thompson & Knight LLP, on avoiding issues in IRS, DOL and other plan audits. Source: Thompson & Knight LLP (PowerPoint)

Target-Date Funds 2.0 After taking massive losses in 2008, many on Wall Street expected investors in target-date funds to pull out their assets and invest their retirement savings elsewhere. But according to Morningstar Inc., investors have ignored the criticism and made target-date funds the focus of their retirement savings. Source: Financial-Planning.com

PODCAST: 403(b) Plan Update Kevin Kidwell of American United Life Insurance Company discusses trends among 403(b) plans and plan sponsors, who are striving to keep up with fiduciary responsibilities. Source: Plansponsor.com

Conservation of Choice: Simplifying Investment Options to Better Serve Participants This paper explores why retirement plan participants tend to under save, misunderstand their investment options, and make poor allocation decisions. Based on studies in behavioral finance, it offers some potential solutions for structuring plan options to encourage participants rather than frustrate and confuse them. Source: Arnerich Massena

Preparing for Retirement in an Uncertain World Stock market volatility, poor investment choices and the lack of worker participation in defined contribution plans have led to calls to replace 401ks and IRAs with a government-run retirement program with guaranteed rates of return. In order to determine whether it is better to let government invest workers' retirement savings or to improve upon private retirement plans, this study compares the performance of retirement funds invested in the market to the returns on workers' contributions to Social Security. Source: National Center for Policy Analysis

Court Rules in Principal 401k Rollover Lawsuit A federal district court recently denied class certification in a lawsuit relating to the rollover of funds from 401k plans for which Principal provided retirement services. In denying class certification, the court rejected many of the arguments that the plaintiff made in support of claims that Principal were acting as ERISA fiduciaries. Source: Groom Law Group

Supreme Court Unanimously Reinforces Gartenberg Approach in MF Fee Cases On March 30, 2010, the United States Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, standardized the law for determining whether investment adviser fees are excessive for purposes of the adviser’s fiduciary duty under Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Source: Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP

Recent Reports on Retirement Topics from the DOL's ERISA Advisory Committee This is an overview of the conclusion recently reported out by the DOL's ERISA Advisory Committee related to several retirement issues. Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute

DOL Issues New Proposed Regulations on Participant Invest. Advice The Department of Labor has again issued proposed regulations on provisions under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 designed to facilitate offering invest. advice to participants in individual account plans, such as 401k plans. Source: Buck Consultants