Retirement

HR leaders continued to cope with healthcare-cost increases and the potential fallout of the healthcare-reform law. At the same time, preparing workers for retirement remained a problem.

Amid employees' concerns and complaints, employers proceed with efforts to boost 401(k) participation.

Here are a dozen actions employees can take before the end of this year to enhance their financial well-being.

This article accompanies Rescuing Retirement.

This article accompanies Rescuing Retirement.

This article accompanies Rescuing Retirement.

This article accompanies Rescuing Retirement.

A $5 billion fund to help employers pay for early retiree healthcare benefits was depleted well ahead of schedule, but experts say the impact on employers was minimal. Nearly half of the funding went to state and local governments, which have higher numbers of early retirees than the private sector.

New regulations make it easier for organizations to offer financial advice to retirement-plan participants as well as require transparency on investment decisions and potential conflicts of interest. The increased disclosures, however, could lead to information overload for the participants, especially those who are not financially sophisticated.

Auto enrollment is effective in putting more minorities into their company's 401(k) plans, but employers need to be even more aggressive, by escalating contribution rates, experts say. Otherwise, employees -- especially lower-paid workers -- just won't be able to have money that will last through retirement.

Next year, new federal rules requiring fee disclosures from 401(k) plan providers make it imperative for companies sponsoring plans to ensure that fees are reasonable. Employers that start preparing now for the new disclosure regime will be ahead of the game.

Faced with a still-flailing economy and wavering confidence in their job security, millions of U.S. workers are already losing sleep over their financial futures. Proposed changes to reduce current-law tax limits for savings in retirement plans could give them another reason to toss and turn at night -- and is cause for HR leaders to re-examine the design of their organizations' 401(k) plans.

New research suggests that many employees won't be able to afford even the basics during retirement. What can HR do to help them have a better shot at a comfortable life during their golden years?

The tumultuous stock market is increasing pressure on retirement-plan sponsors and fiduciaries to address investment risks and to take step to build a shield to protect them from unnecessary litigation.

Proposed tax changes to retirement savings could put a cap on employer and employee contributions to qualified defined-contribution plans and, experts say, HR professionals would be wise to quickly revisit their retirement-plan designs.

Looks like 401(k) participants are taking stick-to-it-ness to a new level, at least when it comes to target-date funds.

New programs that offer payout or drawdown options for retirement savings are complex to research and explain to defined-contribution-plan participants. But many of those participants are asking for guidance and help in stretching out their savings through their post-employment lives.

Have you ever wondered just how important a role the 401(k) plays in the retirement plans of American workers?