401k

Why Financial Literacy is a Mirage

Eric Schurenberg | Posted 11.05.2009 | Business


Eric Schurenberg

What makes financial literacy such an attractive goal today? One benefit is that it deflects attention from reforming financial services.

Unemployment Among Americans 65 or Older Surges, Highest Since Great Depression

nytimes.com | STEVEN GREENHOUSE | Posted 10.23.2009 | Business


It is well known that during the nation's gale-force recession, many older Americans who dreamed of retirement continued to work, often because their ...

Just Say "No" to Adult Children Wanting Money

Don McNay | Posted 10.20.2009 | Business


Don McNay

You are not doing your children any favors by not allowing them to grow up. I'm OK with parents helping children through college (in four years, not forty), but after that they are on their own.

Retire the 401(k) - Replace it with This

Eric Schurenberg | Posted 10.15.2009 | Business


Eric Schurenberg

Jilting the 401(k) to return to the old-fashioned pension, like going back to your spouse after a fling, is not an option. You need something that combines features of both.

Now Time Magazine Blasts the 401(k)

Eric Schurenberg | Posted 10.13.2009 | Media


Eric Schurenberg

This week's Time Magazine cover story looks at the nation's de facto retirement program, the ubiquitous 401(k), and pronounces it inadequate. Welcome to the club.

Retirement Security, Guaranteed

Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. | Posted 10.01.2009 | Business


Roger W. Ferguson, Jr.

The decline in financial markets has reduced the value of 401(k) accounts that Americans are counting on to complement Social Security and has led many retirees to realize it is possible to outlive their savings.

401(k) Automatic Enrollment Becoming Standard Practice

Mainstreet | Joe Mont | Posted 10.01.2009 | Business


Automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans, touted by President Barack Obama as a way to increase retirement savings, are gaining in popularity, even as the...

401(k) Investing: 8 Zombie Stocks To Avoid

BloggingStocks | Michael Shulman | Posted 09.28.2009 | Business


Right now there are few things scarier than the post-market report on CNBC. It's almost like watching a horror movie. And I've got some zombie stoc...

The 10 Biggest Retirement Mistakes

WalletPop | Dan Solin | Posted 09.21.2009 | Business


These are tough times for retirees and for those planning for retirement. Nest eggs have been demolished by the economic meltdown. Job cuts have force...

Obama's Retirement Plan Needs More Nerve

Eric Schurenberg | Posted 11.10.2009 | Business


Eric Schurenberg

The president announced a handful of new initiatives designed to make it easier for American workers to save more for retirement, that makes use of behavioral economics.

Why the President Has Been Losing on Health Care, and What He Needs to Say

Drew Westen | Posted 10.23.2009 | Politics


Drew Westen

At this historic moment, the White House has determined that the best way to win the center is to tack right. But sometimes, the best way to win the center is not to move to the center, but to move the center.

How Laffer Inadvertently Prophesies The Limits of Capitalism

Stephen Herrington | Posted 10.16.2009 | Business


Stephen Herrington

As the very rich have increased the gulf between their wealth and that of the average citizen, two patterns have emerged.

Actually, the Times Got it Right on 401(k)s

Eric Schurenberg | Posted 09.25.2009 | Business


Eric Schurenberg

The 401(k) is now tasked with filling the income gap between what Social Security provides and what you need for a dignified retirement.It's a job the 401(k) was never designed to do, and it has failed to do it.

NYT About Your 401(k): Missing the Point on Retirement Reform

Jill Schlesinger | Posted 09.24.2009 | Business


Jill Schlesinger

As pensions disappeared, nobody said, "Hey, instead of your boss paying into a guaranteed retirement plan, the risk of making contributions and managing your retirement money is entirely on you."

Fidelity (Accidentally) Makes the Case Against the 401(k)

Eric Schurenberg | Posted 09.18.2009 | Business


Eric Schurenberg

It's not a lack of financial literacy that makes a majority of 20-year-olds not participate in a 401(k). It's human nature.

Talking about Personal Finances -- the Final Taboo?

Tanene Allison | Posted 09.06.2009 | Business


Tanene Allison

Over the last forty years, we have turned a lot that was once taboo into less taboo conversation topics. And yet, it is still rare to hear open conversations about financial details.

Time to Replace the 401(k)

Eric Schurenberg | Posted 08.29.2009 | Business


Eric Schurenberg

we had taken a perfectly decent supplementary savings plan and, without any real discussion, allowed it to become the sole source of most workers' non-Social Security retirement income. The 401(k) was not designed for that role, and it has come up way short.

Enslaved by Our 401ks?

Les Leopold | Posted 08.28.2009 | Business


Les Leopold

I'm worried that we've locked ourselves into the stock market to such a degree that we'll allow nearly anything to happen on Wall Street as long as our pension funds and invested savings recover.

401k Savings: Racial Disparity Seen In Rates

AP | DAVID PITT | Posted 08.07.2009 | Business


DES MOINES, Iowa — A new study of 401(k) plans has revealed that black and Hispanic workers save significantly less for retirement and tap into ...

Target Date Funds Face Heat and Probable Reforms

Mark Miller | Posted 08.07.2009 | Business


Mark Miller

Target date funds have come under fire since the crash because many of the funds tailored for investors near retirement age racked up significant losses.

Post-Recession Investing: Have The Market's Glory Days Disapeared Forever?

U.S. News & World Report | Kirk Shinkle | Posted 08.06.2009 | Business


With a little luck, the economy and the stock market should hit bottom sometime this year. In fact, there's a chance that both already have, although ...

New York Times 401(k) Retirement Plan Hit By $154 Million Loss

Boston Business Journal | Jackie Noblett | Posted 07.31.2009 | Media


The 401(k) retirement plan for New York Times Co. employees, including workers at The Boston Globe and Worcester Telegram and Gazette, suffered $154 m...

Investors Near Retirement Lag in Recouping From Crash

Mark Miller | Posted 07.30.2009 | Business


Mark Miller

Retirement investors under the age of 30 participating in defined contribution plans are seeing their accounts bounce back at a much faster rate than over-55 investors who are near retirement.