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Study reveals plan participants are on a positive trajectory, aided by auto features Being able to replace working income with income generated from retirement savings is the essential definition of retirement readiness. The percentage of working income that an individual may need in retirement will vary, depending on a number of factors, such as whether or not they will still have a mortgage, the amount of their Social Security benefit, their tax bracket, variable healthcare costs, lifestyle choices and having income from part-time work, among others. When projecting retirement income needs...

Dealing with inflation’s negative effect on employee retirement planning An August 2022 survey from Nationwide Retirement Institute found that 40% of workers age 45 and older plan to delay their retirement due to inflation and rising living costs. That figure is double the percentage of workers who said they delayed retirement last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the current inflationary environment presents a host of retirement plan challenges for both employers and employees, tackling the trend with prudent and sensible solutions remains the best course of action. Inherent Costs to...

Flexing on plan design features can help improve outcomes for lower income workers. Depending on the nature of your business and the varied experience, education and expertise required of your workforce, you may have a significant population of lower income workers. The Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association defines low income as $20,000 - $47,500 in annual household income. In a highly competitive hiring environment, the following plan design ideas make great sense for attracting and retaining workers. By adding just a little flexibility to better accommodate your lower...

Despite challenges, Americans remain focused on saving for retirement. In the face of economic uncertainty, market volatility, geopolitical unrest and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, plan participants have continued to save for retirement. Vanguard’s annual report, “ How America Saves 2022,” cites a number of encouraging factors that are contributing to this trend. Plan Sponsor Support The report acknowledges that the pandemic has brought more attention to the unstable position of most Americans’ finances (70% of Americans surveyed say anxiety over finances is their top stressor). In addition...

As of May 2022, annual inflation hit 8.6%, and the Fed hiked interest rates by .75%, begging questions about the future of CRE and equipment loans. Find out more as we pick apart CRE loans, diving into what business leaders across all branches of industry need to know moving forward. For those looking to expand or even break ground, understanding how inflation and rising rates will affect your CRE and equipment loans is crucial to financial success. Everyone has felt inflation's sting in one way or another. Supply chain issues persist in the waning days of the pandemic; meanwhile, the...