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Father of modern 401(k) says it fails many Americans

Jun 13, 2013
Ted Benna was a pension consultant who noticed a new tax code provision, K, added to Section 401. He never intended the retirement plan that resulted to replace pensions or become so complicated.

Should the government limit tax-free retirement savings?

May 8, 2013
Allan Sloan, senior editor at large at Fortune magazine, explains why he thinks Obama's proposal to limit tax-free retirement savings is a bad idea.

Some advice for the 401(k) generation

Jan 4, 2013
We work day after day, year after year, to get ready for a future when we hope we won't have to work. But retirement isn't quite as simple as it used to be, says commentator Chris Farrell.

IBM remakes its match

Dec 7, 2012
The tech giant is shifting its 401(k) plan to once-a-year matches instead of monthly payments.

The 401(k) system doesn't work

Jul 27, 2012
Many Americans are unprepared for retirement -- and an economics professor believes government intervention is necessary to create a viable retirement system.

Americans getting risky with their 401(k)s

Jul 20, 2012
Americans are trying to recoup losses from the recession by gambling with their retirement accounts.
More Americans are taking on high risks on their 401(k)s to recoup losses from the recession.
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CalPERS earnings fall flat

Jul 17, 2012
The nation's largest public pension fund got just a one percent annual return on its investments, well below the 7.5 percent the California Public Employees' Retirement System had projected for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

For public good, not for profit.

Letters: An estate planning primer

Jul 13, 2012
This week's letter segments tackles questions for the senior set.
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No retirement savings plan for now

May 16, 2012
I just graduated from law school and found the perfect job for me. Unfortunately, it does not offer a 401(k). I have a number of old 401(k)s from previous jobs, including a few that have been rolled over into Roth IRAs. Because I was in school for 3 years, I haven't been adding to my retirement saving for that period, thinking I could "make it up." To top it all off, my husband and I now make in excess of the maximum for IRA contributions. How should I be saving for retirement at this point? Jane, Los Angeles, CA

The complex universe of retirement savings plans

May 7, 2012
Why can I put more money each year into a 401(k) than I can an IRA? This is stupid. I'm currently a contract employee and can only put $6,000 a year into an IRA, since I'm 50 and can use the catch-up provision. Last year, as an employee of a company that offered a 401(k), I saved more than $12,000. Plus, my company matched very generously. Thanks, Ernie, Sunnyvale, CA