Is the investment company that manages the target fund in your 401(k) tweaking its design to better serve plan participants? It’s an important question, especially if a target fund is the default option for automatic enrollment.

In the wake of losses in some target date or “lifestyle” funds that exceeded losses in most Standard & Poor’s stock funds, many fund companies are making efforts to adjust their offerings to achieve the right mix; their proactive stance reflects possible regulation of the composition and marketing of the funds. more

Health insurers are starting to subscribe to the old saying “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” as the U.S. moves toward health care reform. But they’re not about to submit to changes that would brutalize them financially. more

There are some things that Republicans and Democrats agree on. Bipartisan support for health reform is on the rise, and the employer-based system that’s been in place since World War II is going to look very different very soon. It’s coming not a minute too soon; average costs paid by employers for health insurance premiums have risen eight times faster than average income in the United States, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. more

Everyone knows now that too many people within ten or so years of retirement were way too heavily invested in equities and have seen their 401(k) balances collapse, but the bad news doesn’t stop there. Not only are people invested more heavily in stocks than they should be, but workers continue to put way too much of their portfolio into company stock, despite years of warning from cable TV financial gurus, columnists at investment publications, and financial planners about the dangers of putting all of your eggs in one basket. more

Insurance companies might feel a little like Rodney Dangerfield these days about not getting respect. They’re the ones everyone loves to hate, from employees to doctors and hospitals. But for most employers, as long as they’re getting the most competitive rates from their carrier, they’re happy. more