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• AICPA Offers Roth IRA Conversion Guide

  January 26, 2010

  The American Institute of CPAs is offering a CPA-oriented guide on Roth IRA conversions now that the old $100,000 income limit for converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA no longer applies.

• Obama Calls for Expanding Middle-Class Tax Benefits

  January 26, 2010

  President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden previewed some of the major themes in the president’s upcoming State of the Union address, including a proposal to increase some tax credits for middle-class families.

• Retirement Priorities Shifting for the Rich

  January 19, 2010

  Many wealthy Americans are rethinking their vision of retirement planning, according to a new survey of the affluent.

• Recovering Lost Retirement Income

  January 19, 2010

  With middle-class families taking big losses in their 401(k) and other investments, many are concerned that they might not have enough money to retire without running out.

• GASB Finalizes Standards for Retiree Benefits, Municipal Bankruptcy

  January 4, 2010

  The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has issued final standards on postemployment benefits and municipal bankruptcy.

• Employees Consider Annuities in 401(k) Plans

  December 22, 2009

  The number of employers planning to offer annuities to participants in their 401(k) plans is expected to grow as companies look for ways to provide workers with a steady distribution of benefits during retirement, according to a new survey.

• Look Before Rolling Over a Business Startup

  December 15, 2009

  Promoters have been marketing on the Internet the use of 401(k) funds to purchase franchises or startup businesses, which normally require up-front material sums of monies to launch.

• PFP NEWS

  December 14, 2009

  Raymond James raises AUM minimum for new advisors; many workers will outlive retirement savings; Intuit to expand in 401(k), health insurance market; employees stick with workplace retirement plans.

• IRS to Temporarily Stop Accepting Form 5307

  November 24, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service said it is temporarily closing its determination letter program for adopters of pre-approved defined-benefit plans.

• Socially secure?

  November 16, 2009

  Social Security reform, once among the hopeful centerpieces of the George W. Bush presidency, has been buried and long forgotten under a slew of proposals such as ObamaCare.

• PFP BRIEFS

  November 16, 2009

  Better advice could reduce retirement plan fees; IRS creates retirement plan tool for small business; and change to Roth rules prompts financial consultations.

• Many Workers Will Outlive Retirement Savings

  November 10, 2009

  When it comes to their retirement, 50-somethings seem to be in a state of denial about how long their retirement savings will last, according to a new study.

• IRS Issues Guidance on Minimum Distribution Waiver

  November 3, 2009

  Congress decided last year to waive required minimum distributions from retirement savings plans for 2009, but there is still some confusion about how to apply the waiver.

• Automatic 401(k) Enrollment Is Not for Everyone

  October 27, 2009

  Automatic enrollment for employees in 401(k) plans appears to significantly increase participation, but may not be suitable for all retirement plan sponsors, according to a new government report.

• Intuit to Expand 401(k), Health Insurance Market

  October 21, 2009

  Intuit plans to expand its presence in the market for helping small businesses manage their 401(k) and health insurance benefits, even though many of its own customers do not offer such benefits.

• Employees Stick with Workplace Retirement Plans

  October 20, 2009

  Despite the uncertain market conditions and negative headlines of the past year, most Americans who participate in employer-sponsored defined contribution plans continue to support them, according to a new survey.

• Majority of Companies Reduce Bonuses

  October 19, 2009

  Fifty-five percent of companies are cutting their bonuses and 26 percent are reducing their 401(k) matches for employees, according to a survey of CFOs and senior comptrollers by Grant Thornton.

• Roth IRA Rule Changes Prompt Financial Consultations

  October 15, 2009

  A pending rule change in the eligibility requirements for a Roth individual retirement account could encourage more people to seek out guidance from their financial advisors, according to a new survey.

• IRS Creates Retirement Plan Tool for Small Business

  October 13, 2009

  The Internal Revenue Service has created a new Web-based tool to help small-business owners determine which tax-favored pension plan best suits their needs and how to keep their plans in compliance.

• Better Advice Could Reduce Retirement Plan Fees

  October 6, 2009

  Better information and guidance could improve the oversight of retirement plans and reduce fees for participants, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

• Moving in Virtuous Circles

  October 19, 2009

• Nearly Two-Thirds of Households Lack Financial Plans

  September 29, 2009

  Preparing for retirement and managing income while in retirement are among the top issues confronting American consumers, according to a new survey, but despite those concerns, the majority of households lack a written financial plan.

• GAO Weighs How to Minimize 401(k) ‘Leakage’

  September 29, 2009

  A new report from the Government Accountability Office examines how to minimize the loss in retirement savings that occurs when 401(k) participants tap into their accounts early.

• Investors Soon Forget Financial Crisis Lessons

  September 22, 2009

  A new survey reveals that many investors are once again taking for granted the old assumptions they had about their retirement savings.

• Recession Produces Retirement Planning Worries

  September 15, 2009

  The recession has prompted more people to worry about proper retirement planning, according to a new survey.

• Nearly Half of Retirees Support Others

  September 9, 2009

  Forty-four percent of retired Americans admit to supporting at least one individual financially, according to a new survey by Charles Schwab.

• Retirement Planning the Obama Way

  September 9, 2009

  President Obama described several ways over the weekend that he plans to help Americans save more for their golden years, but reducing unemployment and reversing the stagnation of wages are going to do the most good for a secure retirement.

• Obama Aims to Increase Retirement Savings

  September 8, 2009

  President Obama outlined a series of initiatives the federal government would take to help people boost their retirement savings.

• GAO Sees Tradeoffs in Pension Plan Alternatives

  August 25, 2009

  Recent losses in the stock market have jeopardized the pension savings of many U.S. workers, but the alternative approaches followed by other countries may provide possible solutions as well as problems of their own.

• Social Security COLAs Become Un-COLAs

  August 24, 2009

  The trustees who oversee Social Security project that retirees will not receive cost of living adjustments for the next two years.

• GASB to Decide on Municipal Bankruptcy Standards

  August 14, 2009

  The Government Accounting Standards Board has drafted proposed standards for local government bankruptcies, and is giving interested parties until August 28 to comment.

• Employers Scale Back 401(k) Contributions

  August 11, 2009

  Forty-six percent of the 1,000 corporations polled in a recent survey said they plan to reduce or eliminate employer contributions to their 401(k) plans or already plan to do so, even as their overall benefit budgets increase.

• SunGard, iShares Team on ETF Retirement Plans

  July 28, 2009

  SunGard and iShares are partnering on a system that will allow advisors and third-party administrators to incorporate exchange-traded funds as a standard option in retirement plans.

• Retirement Plans Face Challenges

  July 21, 2009

  The Congressional Research Service has issued a new report, “401(k) Plans and Retirement Savings: Issues for Congress,” that describes seven major policy issues facing defined contribution plans.

• Breslow Starling Joins AICPA Benefit Plan Center

  July 13, 2009

  Accounting firm Breslow Starling has been accepted into the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center by the American Institute of CPAs.

• 9.5 Million Retirees Want to Return to Workforce

  July 7, 2009

  As many as 9.5 million retired Americans are considering at least a partial return to the workforce, according to a new study by Charles Schwab.

• CBIZ Acquires Employee Benefits Firm

  July 1, 2009

  CBIZ has acquired EAO Consultants, an employee benefits firm also known as Egan, Amato & O’Connor, expanding the accounting provider’s benefits-consulting expertise in the Northeast.

• House Committee Clears Bill on Hidden 401(k) Fees

  June 30, 2009

  The House Education and Labor Committee has approved a bill that would require 401(k) plan providers to provide clear, complete information about the fees they charge.

• Employers Support 401(k)’s Despite Performance

  June 23, 2009

  A new survey shows backing for 401(k) plans by senior finance and human resources executives, even though many of the plans have performed poorly during the financial crisis.

• ExpertPlan Buys Part of ADP’s Retirement Business

  June 19, 2009

  Retirement plan recordkeeping service provider ExpertPlan has acquired portions of ADP’s retirement plan recordkeeping business that service independent third-party administrators.

• Workers Delay Retirement as 401(k)’s Take a Hit

  June 19, 2009

  As workers experience large losses in their retirement funds, a significant number are planning to delay their retirement, according to a new survey.

• Workers Hope to Change Jobs, Eventually

  June 18, 2009

  About 54 percent of employed Americans plan to look for a new job once the economy rebounds, according to a new survey.

• SEC Probes 401(k) Target Date Funds

  June 18, 2009

  The SEC and the Department of Labor convened a hearing Thursday to decide whether to tighten the rules for financial services companies that offer target-date funds in their 401(k) plans.

• ‘Perfect Storm’ Could Derail Retirement Plans

  June 16, 2009

  A “perfect storm” of demographic, individual and financial elements is poised to undermine people’s retirement plans unless they prepare properly, warns a new global survey.

• More Retirement Health Savings Needed

  June 11, 2009

  Retirees will need far more money to cover their health care expenses than previously estimated, according to a new study.

• Most Americans Not Prepared for Retirement

  June 5, 2009

  The recession has not prompted many people to change their behavior and start saving more for retirement, according to a new survey by Charles Schwab.

• Engineers Can Apply Financial Design

  June 5, 2009

  The huge changes in the automotive industry have caused many engineers to lose focus of their overall financial plan.

• Timing the Market? No Way!

  May 29, 2009

  It has been said repeatedly that the one aspect most investors can really count on is that markets are cyclical.

• Social Security Recipients Urged to Go Direct Deposit

  May 22, 2009

  The Treasury Department is advising Social Security check recipients who live in hurricane- and other disaster-prone areas to switch to direct deposit as hurricane season gets underway along the Gulf Coast and Eastern seaboard states and severe weather continues to impact other regions of the country.

• New Aviator 401(k) Program

  May 20, 2009

• Financial Planners Earn 40 Percent More

  May 20, 2009

• IRS Tries to Fix Withholding Problems

  May 14, 2009

  The IRS is providing a new withholding adjustment option for pension plans as a way to get around some of the glitches that have developed with the new Making Work Pay tax credit.

• Having the Long-Term Care Conversation

  April 19, 2009

  Long-term care is an immensely valuable form of insurance, both for clients and their beneficiaries. According to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, 20% of the elderly require more than five years of long-term care, another 20% require two to five years and 30% require two years or less. Only 31% require no long-term care at all.

• Toolbox: New Retirement Products

  March 31, 2009

• Financial Planning Briefs

  March 31, 2009

• Saving More, Cutting Debt

  March 31, 2009

• Aiding 401(k) Filing Requirements

  March 31, 2009

• ADP Expands Retirement Services

  March 24, 2009

  ADP has launched ADP Access, a retirement program that combines the benefits of ADP's 401(k) plan recordkeeping services and the guidance of a financial advisor.

• Free Webcast: What You Need to Know About Estate Planning

  March 18, 2009

  No matter how much money your client has, it's crucial to have a basic estate plan simply to ensure that the financial goals of the client are met after the client dies.

• Clients, Advisors Urgently Seek Answers

  March 15, 2009

  As the economy worsens and unemployment continues to rise, many people who have stayed invested may be asking themselves if they made a mistake by not selling out and remaining in cash.

• Financial Planning Video Site Launches

  March 5, 2009

  The American College has introduced a video-on-demand Web site that will provide information for financial planners on wealth management and related topics.

• Taking Early Distributions from Retirement Plans

  February 23, 2009

  If you took an early distribution from your retirement plan, here are the top 10 things you need to know, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

• Taxability of Social Security Benefits

  February 17, 2009

  How much, if any, of your Social Security benefits are taxable depends on your total income and marital status.

• Retiring: It's Not What's For Dinner

  February 10, 2009

  Retirement doesn't have to be just about bingo and shuffleboard.

Related Articles

• Obama Calls for Expanding Middle-Class Tax Benefits

• AICPA Offers Roth IRA Conversion Guide

• Recovering Lost Retirement Income

• Retirement Priorities Shifting for the Rich

• Should I stay or should I go?

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