perspectives

Archive for the ‘401(k) Fees’ Category

Happy Birthday, ERISA!

Posted Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 by Rebecca Davis

Happy 34th Birthday, ERISA!

Today marks the 34th anniversary of the date that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, known to those in the field of pensions as ERISA, was signed into law.  In a tribute to the workers who would be helped by the new law, that day, September 2, 1974, fell on Labor Day. (more…)

How much does a 401(k) really cost?

Posted Thursday, July 24th, 2008 by Olena B. Lacy

When I was head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (the Department of Labor agency charged with protecting pensions) during the Clinton administration, I became concerned about whether or not people who had 401(k) plans truly understood how much they were paying in fees and what those fees were for. So in 1997 and 1998, we held hearings and issued a report [PDF] on the issue.

A couple of months ago, I decided to take another look at the 1998 report to see what had changed in the last 10 years. (more…)