INSIDER

Health Care Reform:
The Potentially Steep Price for Doing It Wrong
In late summer 2009, health care reform seems almost within reach. President Barack Obama is urging the Congress to pass bills, and both the House and Senate are trying to deliver. There is relatively widespread agreement on the necessity of reform, but the devil is in the details.

Hybrid Plan Sponsors Concerned About Lack of Regulatory Guidance
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) established new rules for the operation and administration of hybrid pension plans, but plan sponsors are still waiting for guidance. The lack of final (or in a number of cases even proposed) guidance leaves hybrid sponsors in a difficult position — required to act without knowing the rules for doing so. Watson Wyatt recently conducted a survey to identify the issues most important to these plan sponsors.

Investing in Retirement Accounts: Analyzing Influences on Choice
Portfolio selections and investment returns play an important role in accumulating wealth. Studies have established that many workers need to allocate their assets more wisely, particularly participants in defined contribution (DC) retirement plans. Measures are being proposed or are under way to encourage better informed, smarter and more effective investment. For example, on the regulatory side, the Department of Labor has encouraged a greater use of equities as part of qualified default investment alternatives in retirement accounts. The effects of these measures and policies on individuals’ investment behavior remain to be seen.

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