If you want an inside track to 401(k) plan sponsors, become a plumber who can stop leaks.

The participant-directed retirement plan market is vast, consisting of an estimated 483,000 retirement plans holding nearly $3 trillion in assets and covering 72 million participants, according to the Department of Labor (DOL). For financial professionals who provide advice and services to this market, takeover plans are a sweet spot.

Conceptually, investors are thought be more risk-tolerant at younger ages and more risk-averse as they age. In fact, this idea is built into many asset allocation strategies and provides the structure for target-date mutual funds. But is it still valid?

Vanguard, a large turnkey 401(k) plan provider, recently documented trends among its millions of defined contribution (DC) plan participants in an informative report: The great recession and 401(k) plan participant behavior.

For clients who are approaching retirement, one of the most important documents to save and evaluate is the annual Social Security Statement, which traditionally has arrived in clients’ mailboxes shortly before their birthdays.

Medicare has been a hot topic since April 15, the day that the U.S. House of Representatives voted 235-193 to approve a resolution that would privatize the Medicare system for younger people. While there is little chance the resolution will become law, it has greatly increased general interest in knowing...

In retirement planning, you can provide a valuable service by helping clients estimate how much money they'll spend monthly on essential needs such as food, clothing, housing and utilities.

Every four years, the U.S. Census conducts a Survey of Business Owners (SBO) to document changes in the types of entrepreneurs and business formations.