As the DOL's fee disclosure regulations take effect early this year, it's becoming increasingly important that 401(k) managers understand where their fees rank and if they're reasonable.

Employees are in need of simple, straightforward guidance regarding their retirement plans, a survey released by State Street Global Advisors found.

UPS says a charge related to a new method of accounting for pensions and retirement plans will significantly reduce its reported earnings for the fourth-quarter and full year of 2011.

Is there a chance that ETFs might break into the 401(k) business? CNBC columnist Neil Plein says the existing resistence, based on low returns for advisors and institutions, might change with a new payment system.

The "Managing Retirement Decisions" series suggests consumers carefully time their retirement, as well as avoiding all solicitations on financial products and ignore their friends' and families' well-intentioned financial advice.

Lincoln Trust Co. last week released a report on six megatrends that would affect the retirement plan industry in 2012, including the new fee disclosure legislation and changing fiduciary standards.

Looking ahead to a post-retirement future and the safest withdrawal amount to maintain their savings, still-working employees have a better sense of how to pre-load to get to a financially safter spot.

Quite a few of the top 25 fastest-growing fund managers for last year came from boutique firms, according to Strategic Insights Simfund database.