Qualified plan sponsors bore the burden on their own for years. Now, that's changing fast.

The Principal Life Insurance Co. wanted to know: Should revenue-sharing payments it receives for services rendered to an ERISA plan be considered part of the plans assets?

The Dietrich Pension Risk Transfer Index, which tracks the relative appeal of annuitizing pension liabilities, increased from Junes value of 88.92 to 93.54 as of July 1.

The surprise examination requirement, like any regulation, cannot prevent fraud 100 percent of the time but that it helps deter such misconduct, the SEC says.

The Financial Planning Coalition said it would oppose any efforts to weaken the fiduciary standard.

Not until all internal processes have been completed and the plan has finally denied the application for benefits, according to a brief filed before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Forty-two percent of people surveyed say they would continue contributing 3 percent of their salaries to retirement savings, but 44 percent say theyd be happy to contribute at twice that rate.

The largest block of alternative assets is in real estate funds (34 percent), followed by 23 percent in private equity funds.