Section 401(k), added to the IRC by the Revenue Act of 1978, formally sanctioned the use of salary reduction as a source of tax-deferred retirement plan contributions. The law went into effect on January 1, 1980 and the first 401(k) plans became operational after the IRS issued regulations in late 1981 (though a few brave pioneer sponsors did jump the gun).

Our (Brightwork Partners) most recent survey of 600 advisors active in 401(k) gathered information on advisor perceptions about their fiduciary status to plans, the extent to which plans are covered by a formal 3 (21) or 3(38) fiduciary services agreement and whether those services were being provided directly by the advisor or by a third party fiduciary such as Mesirow.

The ongoing surveys of Advisors in 401(k) conducted by Brightwork Partners document major channel shifts over recent years. Looking back to 2005, insurance – and wirehouse – affiliated advisors dominated the sale and service of 401(k) plans; together these two channels comprised 62% of all Advisors active in 401(k). By last year that had fallen to 35%.

Withdrawals from 401(k) plans are now exceeding new contributions as baby boomers age, a shift that could have profound implications for the U.S. retirement industry.

Federal or state securities laws require brokers, investment advisers, and their firms to be licensed or registered, and to make important information public. But it's up to you to find that information and use it to protect your investment dollars.

Over the past couple of decades, I have had the opportunity to lead a variety of wholesaling teams at major Wirehouse's. I have witnessed best and not so best practices by TPAs as they work on building lasting relationships with Advisors in Wirehouse branch offices.

Do you start the year out with a plan of hosting a number of educational seminars and then find that it is difficult to stay on track? Do you wonder how successful they really are? How many proposals are you really getting from these somewhat labor intensive seminars?

You want to grow your business or meet a sales goal...do you just take any "opportunity" that comes across your desk?

ING's "Retirement Revealed" study looks at financial habits and retirement planning for women who are currently also focused on raising children.

The Prospect Assessment Tool provides a scoring system that combines six different elements of a prospect’s value to determine an overall quality of a lead by establishing a Prospect Assessment Score.