Here we go again. Central banks around the world, especially the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed), declare inflation rates are too high and commit to bringing them down via interest rates hikes. Markets react negatively as the cost of capital rises. Time passes and investors become convinced hikes are about to end and the Fed will soon pivot to rate cuts.
Small business leaders and employers sometimes have a harder time recruiting workers due to their inability to offer the robust retirement plan benefits that larger enterprises can. That may no longer be the case since the introduction of rules surrounding Pooled Employer Plans, also known as PEPs.
When designing defined contribution (DC) retirement plans, many factors must be considered. Not only do plan designers have to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, but they also have to think of the employers (and their budgets) as well as how to best accommodate plan participants in a way that makes it worth everyone’s investment.
A good way to think about this is to see it through a lens of diversity and inclusion. How can this be accomplished?
Is the American Dream falling out of view? According to our 2022 Middle Class Survey conducted in partnership with The Harris Poll, nearly half (49%) of middle-class Americans (those with an annual household income of $35,000 to $99,000) grade themselves at a C or lower on their ability to achieve the so-called American Dream. When looking specifically at those who are currently renting, that number jumps to 62%. What’s perhaps more distressing is that nearly a quarter of those surveyed (23%) who haven’t already retired say they expect to never be able to retire.1
What factors have the greatest influence over employees’ happiness at work? According to LIMRA’s 2022 Benefits and Employee Attitude Tracker (BEAT) Study, work satisfaction is about a lot more than a paycheck.
That’s not to suggest salaries don’t matter—in fact, income is number one on the list of the five most important factors employees cite when choosing whether to stay with a current employer or leave for a new one. Eighty-two percent of those surveyed list pay among their top five factors, but only 37% of those surveyed said that pay was their first priority.1
At the end of March 2022, the United States House of Representatives passed their version of the SECURE Act 2.0, or the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022. It’s also known simply as SECURE 2.0 — the follow-up to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act from 2019, which aimed to update certain retirement account laws in workers’ favor.
Now, as we continue through uncertain economic times, SECURE 2.0 is poised to create more changes to laws and regulations for certain accounts and policies.
You’ve had many conversations about financial security with employers and clients, but have you talked about the potentially devastating implications of failing to consider cybersecurity?
It’s all over the news — what’s being touted as “the Great Resignation,” consisting of a high number of workers who have decided to move on from their current jobs to greener pastures. While just about every demographic is represented in some way, it’s by and large younger workers who are leaving their jobs during this exodus.1
More than seven in 10 Americans use some type of social media. Younger adults are the largest audience, but older generations are gaining ground.1
