AFS 401(k) Retirement Services is thrilled to publicize that our lead adviser, Alex Assaley was named a top retirement plan advisor by PLANADVISOR.

Since 2013, this designation has been awarded to the top 100 retirement plan advisers and teams based on quantitative measures such as the most plans and assets under advisement. This year, PLANADVISER made a significant change, limiting how large a team could be for consideration—eliminating national-type firms that traditionally had met the eligibility for a “Mega Team”.

Many organizations who aren’t acquainted with financial wellness programs have a tough time understanding how it can benefit their employees, and that’s ok. We all begin at different stages. However, if you’re reading this article, then hopefully you’ve already seen the positive effects a program can have on your employees. So, we then ask you, when was the last time you evaluated your financial wellness program provider or advisor? Here is a mini-guide with questions to ask to ensure you are in good hands with your financial wellness benefit offerings.

As retirement plan advisors, we’re often asked about how to evaluate a financial advisor so here are five questions from our team to ask yourself and ensure your current advisor is adequate for your financial life. The beginning of the year is a perfect time to check in on your financial life to ensure you are on target with your financial goals and initiatives. A respectable advisor will have you feeling confident in how your financial life is progressing, and assessing your financial life goes together with evaluating your advisor.

Passwords can be just as annoying as they are necessary, and most of us are probably all too familiar with the never-ending "forgot password, reset password, forget new password, repeat process" saga. Leveraging a password manager will not only keep your information secure, but also make it easier to keep track of the sheer number of passwords you need these days. With these benefits in mind, everyone should consider using a password manager to keep his or her online information protected and secure.

Early last year, Congress passed significant changes to retirement savings law that affected many in 2020 and will continue to affect many of us now in and in the future. This new law, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, was part of the massive government spending bill that was approved by Congress on December 19, 2019, and signed into law on December 20, 2019. This bill extensively reshaped the realm of employer-sponsored retirement plans for both employers and employees and enacted the biggest changes to the U.S. retirement system since 2006.

Effective January 1, 2021 the IRS announced the 2021 Pension Plan Limitations. These changes will take effect in the upcoming tax year for retirement plans. 

Check out our infographic that details all the changes you'll want to be aware of in the upcoming year when it comes to your role managing an employer-sponsored retirement plan. 

Before dispersing for its winter break, Congress passed significant changes to retirement savings law that will affect many of us now and all of us in the future. This new law, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, is part of the massive government spending bill that was approved by Congress on December 19 and signed into law by President Trump on December 20, 2019. This bill extensively reshapes the realm of employer-sponsored retirement plans for both employers and employees and enacts the biggest changes to the U.S. retirement system since 2006.

Have you heard of, or considered, socially responsible – or, what the industry now calls ESG, investments? These investment vehicles have been gaining a lot of traction this year for focus on sustainable, socially conscious, "green" and/or ethical screens for the companies they own in their portfolio (i.e. mutual fund or ETF) and also for their ability to point of potential financial risks that can't be identified by typical quarterly results. They seek to consider both financial return and specific environmental, governance, and social metrics to help investments do well by “doing good.” In this video, I sat down with Clarice Avery of Natixis Invest Managers. We talked about all the things you should know when considering an ESG investment for your investment line-up. You can learn more at Natixis’ site and ESG101.