Benefits Manager

Key employees are optimistic about their retirement savings in 2012, but they arent optimistic about the economy, according to new research from the Principal Financial Group.

Congressional Democrats and Republicans rallied on a rare patch of common ground Wednesday, moving toward passage of legislation helping unemployed veterans and government contractors.

Some might think it would be cost-prohibitive for employers to offer financial wellness programs to employees, but data by Financial Finesse Inc. shows that these programs can only help employers bottom lines.

Michigan is among just a handful of states raising taxes on low-income working families while cutting taxes for other groups, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities said in a report released Tuesday.

Even though an automatic salary deferral rate of 3 percent into an employees 401(k) is not enough to get them where they need to be in retirement, most companies are not poised to raise their initial default rate above that figure.

Democratic state lawmakers plan to ask North Dakota's unemployment agency to reconsider its refusal to pay jobless benefits to about 400 American Crystal Sugar Co. employees.

The South Dakota Retirement System approved a 3.1 percent cost of living increase for its retirees on Tuesday after strong investment earnings during the past fiscal year.

The repeal of Ohio's collective bargaining law has no immediate credit impact on the state or its local governments, according to an analysis by a top ratings agency.