As Congress wraps up its pre-holiday session, we’re watching for filibustering on the budget bill in the Senate regarding concerns for funding for coal miners’ health care and pensions. Meanwhile…

Puzder a puzzler? Not really

President-elect Trump has been filling his future cabinet, and the pattern of his picks is “anti-regulation.” So the news about his choice for DOL secretary, Andrew Puzder wasn’t puzzling. Still, it sent many press releases into our Inboxes -- from those opposed, those approving, and those carefully walking a line in between. Why the mixed reactions? Read this and see: “Trump said to pick DOL head: Andrew Puzder.”

Is Trump going to be a robot’s BFF or not?

The largest robo-advisory, Betterment, took out full-page ads in major publications this week. One contained an open letter addressed to Trump, about the DOL fiduciary rule. In it, CEO Jon Stein asked Trump to “stand on the side of America’s 75 million retirement savers.” Read more about the fiduciary rule and how robo-advisors fit in it: “Betterment CEO to Trump: DOL fiduciary rule worth your time.”

How we make decisions

Sponsors of 401(k) plans know there’s been an increase in lawsuits this year against plan sponsors, many of them relating to fees. Cerulli Associates attempted to gauge the effect of such a climate on sponsors’ behavior and beliefs. Read what they found in “Litigation is top fear of majority of 401(k) sponsors.”

A former financial analyst, an architect, and an editor walk into a bar….

Actually, they were at a brunch, and no booze was served. They were trying to decipher the end-of-year letter to 401(k) participants from a well-known retirement plan provider. Each of the three reached a different conclusion.

Often the burden is on workers to figure out their retirement. But even apparently well-educated employees need help dealing with these pain points: “9 reasons why retirement may go extinct.”

Who’s in your 2016 Rogues Gallery?

Our fellow editors at another ALM publication, LifeHealthPRO.com, put together this surprisingly far-ranging list of insurance/financial industry rogues. Rather than compile one ourselves, which some readers might find predictable, we thought you’d rather read this one and tell us who’s on yours: “National Underwriter’s 2016 Rogues Gallery.”

Instant Insights /

DOL secretaries, coal miners & letters to Trump from robo-advisors

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