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1/23/2013 - Annuity Data: Inflows Slide in 2012 (Financial Planning.com)

The amount of money flowing into annuities declined last year more than 6% from prior-year levels, according to a report from the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. Read the full article at Financial-Planning.com

1/23/2013 - 401(k) income statements: The next subprime? (CBS MoneyWatch)

Listen up! You can own a $500,000 home with a monthly payment of just $1,200! As we now know, too many Americans fell for a pitch like this in the recent real estate bubble; they took on mortgages with low, teaser interest rates and balloon payments. As a result, they bought houses that were simply… Read more 1/23/2013 - 401(k) income statements: The next subprime? (CBS MoneyWatch)

1/22/2013 - Unlucky in love? Don't make snap financial decisions (Today)

If you’ve just had a battle with your best friend or been dumped by your betrothed, now is not the time to make investment decisions, a new study suggests. Researchers have found that when people feel socially isolated they’re more likely to make risky financial choices, according to the study published in the Journal of… Read more 1/22/2013 - Unlucky in love? Don't make snap financial decisions (Today)

1/22/2013 - Working Longer: Still the Best Path to a Better Retirement (US News and World Report)

Today, of course, employers are in the driver’s seat when it comes to finding a job. Millions of people have been out of work for a long period of time. For older workers in particular, it’s especially tough to find a new job. There will come a day, however, when the equation shifts. As this… Read more 1/22/2013 - Working Longer: Still the Best Path to a Better Retirement (US News and World Report)

1/21/2013 - Employees want more help, automatic increases with retirement plans (BenefitsPro)

Employees hunger for support when it comes to saving more for retirement, according to a new survey of U.S. workplace retirement plan participants by State Street Global Advisors. They also want their employer to automatically increase their savings rate. Read the full article at Benefits Pro.

1/18/2013 - To Annuitize, or Not to Annuitize: What Sways the Choice? (Advisor One)

All else being equal, why do some people choose a lump sum distribution while others opt for a systematic withdrawal? It’s an increasingly important question as worries grow over sustainable streams of income and the possibility of outliving ones assets. The answer initially appears quite simple—plan design. But it quickly gets complicated from there. Read… Read more 1/18/2013 - To Annuitize, or Not to Annuitize: What Sways the Choice? (Advisor One)

1/17/2013 - U.S. CEOs push plan to raise full retirement age to 70 (CBS MoneyWatch)

An influential group of business CEOs is pushing a plan to gradually increase the full retirement age to 70 for both Social Security and Medicare and to partially privatize the health insurance program for older Americans. The Business Roundtable’s plan would protect those 55 and older from cuts but younger workers would face significant changes.… Read more 1/17/2013 - U.S. CEOs push plan to raise full retirement age to 70 (CBS MoneyWatch)

1/17/2013 - Aon Hewitt survey reveals retirement savings gap (HealthLifePro)

Workers need 11 times their final pay to meet their financial needs in retirement, but the average U.S. worker has a savings shortfall of 2.2 times pay, according to a new survey. The survey reveals that to help bridge the retirement savings gap, most employers (80 percent) are making financial wellness a top priority in 2013. Six… Read more 1/17/2013 - Aon Hewitt survey reveals retirement savings gap (HealthLifePro)

1/16/2013 - What Is Driving Growth in Government Spending? (New York Times)

It’s one of the most fundamental political questions of our time: What’s driving the growth in government spending? And it has a relatively straightforward answer: first and foremost, spending on health care through Medicare and Medicaid, and other major social insurance and entitlement programs. But I thought it was worth reviewing the evidence in a… Read more 1/16/2013 - What Is Driving Growth in Government Spending? (New York Times)

1/9/2013 - Fiscal Cliff Aftermath: New Option for 401(k) Savers (Time)

In an effort to unlock tax revenue, not just raise rates on the wealthy, architects of the fiscal cliff deal handed certain retirement savers a small bonus: You can now convert traditional 401(k) plan assets into a Roth 401(k) regardless of age and employment status. Read the full article at Time.