Are you shopping for a new 401(k) plan for your employees this holiday season? For many employers, the impetus for switching providers comes from new fee-disclosure rules that took effect in July 2012. The rules require providers to detail all costs associated with their 401(k) plans. The idea was to improve transparency by preventing providers from hiding fees, thereby helping employers shop for the best options to their employees.

But the disclosure rules dont apply to the proposals from retirement plan companies soliciting business.

Thats a problem, because employers could be steered into buying plans that cost more than they were led to believe, says Brandon Bellin, a senior associate actuary for Securian Retirement, a division of Securian Financial Group, based in St. Paul, Minn. Many employeesand employersdont fully understand how much difference a small increase in fees makes over a lifetime of saving for retirement, he explains. For example, consider what happens to an individual who earns $50,000 annually and defers 10 percent of her salary into a retirement plan earning 8 percent. Over 30 years, what might seem to be a small, 1 percent fee increase adds up to $100,000 in lost retirement savings. [Employers] who are unaware of the hidden revenues and fees associated with a particular retirement plan providers proposal put themselves at risk if they move their plans to that provider, Bellin says.

Below are a handful of questions Bellin suggests you ask to ferret out a retirement plans true cost. He acknowledges that because Securian sells retirement plans, hes not a disinterested party. But he says a paper (PDF) he wrote recently about revenue models in the retirement plan industry helps explain why employers should heed his advice.

Where do you make your money? Some companies charge explicit fees that can be evaluated and compared across different plans. Small business plan providers, however, often rely on making money through something the industry calls revenue sharing, Bellin says. These are amounts paid by investment funds to retirement plan providers who offer their funds in the investment options available to employees.

Are there any conflicts of interest? For instance, if the provider is affiliated with a particular mutual fund, that companys funds may generate higher revenue for the provider, who will have an incentive to promote them. Or the initial pitch may feature low-cost investment options that look like good values, but later, the provider may suggest a better lineup that pays higher revenue sharing [to them] and drives up plan costs, Bellin says.

How do expense ratios compare across investment options? Oftentimes, retirement plans default to proprietary target-date funds that automatically move employees savings into more conservative investments as they get older. But despite the fact that many of these funds use low-cost, passive index funds as investment vehicles, they often charge fees closer to those of funds with active managers. In these cases, investment management expenses can be unreasonably high, Bellin says. Its a way [for them] to make more money without being too explicit about it.

Will managed accounts be offered in your plan? For an additional fee, some plans allow employees to purchase professional management services for their assets, called managed accounts. These fees can be substantial and may exceed the actual cost of providing managed accounts, Bellin says. Some retirement companies may use such managed accounts to help subsidize the plans administrative cost. When managed accounts are offered, they should be considered part of the total cost of the plan, he says.

The bottom line: Before choosing a new retirement plan provider, try to get a side-by-side comparison of several providers plans, how much they will charge in fees, an explicit accounting of any fees that might be hidden, and what the total bottom line is for each provider. The other option is to simply avoid providers that get different levels of revenue from different investment funds. That way its transparent and a lot easier to see than having the money hiding in various places, Bellin says. And the employer will avoid the situation where some participants pay more towards plan expenses than others based on which investments they are using.

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What Does Your Retirement Plan Really Cost?

We spend a lot of time and effort accumulating a retirement fund. But at a time when retirement can last for over 20 years, we also need a tax-efficient withdrawal strategy to help our nest egg last longer.

Various types of retirement income are taxed at different rates. Here's a look at the different types of income and their respective tax rates in retirement:

Ordinary income tax rate. Once you retire, you won't have a regular paycheck anymore and your ordinary income tax will decrease significantly. But you'll still probably have to pay tax on these sources of income:

--Rental income

--Business income

--Tax-deferred account withdrawals from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s

--Interest

--Short term capital gains (gain from sales of assets held under 1 year)

--Annuity payouts may be taxable

--A portion of your Social Security benefit may be taxed federally depending on your income

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How to Take Tax-Efficient Retirement Account Withdrawals

I'd like to think that readers of this retirement column are well on their way to building a comfortable retirement. But many people have a long journey ahead of them before they will reach financial independence. Those who are close to retirement and have little or no savings need a serious push to save more. Here's what to do if you have little saved when you are close to retirement:

Stop hoping. There's no more time for you to sit around hoping something good will happen to your net worth. Take charge of the situation by making the necessary changes to have a better retirement. Start saving with your very next paycheck. The more you save, the better things will be for you in retirement.

Fire your financial adviser, if you have one. If your financial adviser hasn't convinced you or at least tried to talk you into saving enough for retirement, he's obviously not adequately addressing your financial needs. And this financial adviser likely gets a cut or fixed fee from the money you do have saved. You can put that extra money into your retirement savings.

Downsize your home. Consider downsizing your home, because chances are good that you can kick your savings up a few notches just by living in a smaller house. Your mortgage payment will be much lower, and your property taxes, utilities, maintenance, and general upkeep costs will all probably go down as well. This single adjustment can sometimes dramatically improve your finances, and you may even feel happier once you are no longer working so hard to pay for your house. You should also consider downsizing other aspects of your lifestyle to reduce your expenses.

Take advantage of catch up contributions. People age 50 or older can contribute more to tax advantaged retirement accounts than younger savers. Use this increased limit to turbocharge your savings and to avoid the tax drag on your investment returns.

Consider investing more conservatively. Many people are tempted to increase their investment risk when they feel they are coming up short on their retirement goals. But not having enough money is actually a strong indication that you should reduce your risk, because bad luck with the markets can be devastating to someone who doesn't have that much left to lose. This goes back to the first point about hope, which is not a sound strategy. Always remember to invest according to both your willingness and ability to take risk.

Don't forget about your health. Medical expenses are likely to go up in the future. But you can significantly reduce your costs by staying as healthy as you can. Exercise often, and make the effort to watch what you consume on a regular basis. This combination will improve your quality of life beyond just dollars and cents because you will have more energy and feel better about yourself.

Being close to retirement with no savings is tough, but the game isn't over yet. It's never too late to take steps to shore up your finances. Your retired self will appreciate any extra savings you can accumulate.

David Ning runs MoneyNing, a personal finance site that shares money moves you can make to significantly increase your chances of having a comfortable retirement. He likes to share simple changes that anyone can make, such as picking the best online savings account and figuring out whether a 0 percent balance transfer credit card makes sense.

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Last-Minute Retirement Saving Strategies

Most of us say that we want a successful retirement. Unfortunately, too many of us don't think things through, and could end up unprepared for retirement. It's remarkably easy to wreck your retirement years. Here are three steps that are likely to ruin your retirement:

1. Forgo a plan. Planning often seems overrated. After all, a plan can be restricting. Unfortunately, without a plan, there is nothing to help you on your path to retirement. Without a plan, it's too easy to forget about the end game and just focus on what's happening today. If you want a successful retirement you need to look ahead.

A retirement plan forces you to look beyond what you think you want right now. Instead, you need to look at where you want to be, relative to where you are right now. Your retirement plan lays out the steps you need to take to get from here to there and possibly even retire early. Without proper planning, you are likely to find yourself without enough to retire, and in danger of living longer than your money.

Create a realistic retirement plan that allows you to save up for the retirement you want, and that encourages you to start taking the steps that lead to a successful retirement later. If you don't have a road map to a better retirement, you may not ever get there.

2. Rack up debt. One of the biggest retirement killers is debt. When you have debt obligations, your money isn't your own. Instead of using your money to build wealth, you are paying interest straight into someone else's pocket. During retirement, you want fewer drains on your money. Your retirement income is more fixed. If a large portion of that income is going toward paying interest debt, you could end up without enough to pay your retirement costs.

Instead of getting into debt now, live within your means. Make a plan to pay off debt before you retire, including mortgage debt if possible. The fewer obligations you have in retirement, the better off you'll be. Plus, living within your means now is good practice for creating habits that will enable you to avoid outliving your money during retirement.

Learn to live without debt, and your retirement will be more successful in the long run. And you'll be happier knowing that more of your money is being used to help you maintain the retirement lifestyle that you actually want.

3. Neglect your health. The cost of health care continues to rise, and poor health can really ruin your retirement. Not only is poor health expensive, but it also seriously reduces your ability to enjoy yourself in retirement.

Take care of yourself now. While there is no complete guarantee that you won't get sick, or end up with a chronic illness, you can still improve your chances of living with excellent health in retirement. Exercise, eat healthier including brain boosting superfoods, and get the right amount of sleep. Remember to include time for relaxation in your routine.

If you stay active, body and mind, you can improve the odds that you will need fewer medical services. Good health can help you reduce your overall costs in retirement, as well as enjoy yourself better. It's hard to enjoy the money you have saved for retirement if your body is in such bad shape that you can't do anything.

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How to Ruin Your Retirement in 3 Steps

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RETIREMENT INCOME FORUM PAULINE VAMOS ASFA LEGISLATION
Pauline Vamos, CEO ASFA discusses superannuation legislation changes with Retirement Income Forum.From:RetirementIncForumViews:0 0ratingsTime:04:01More inPeople Blogs

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171 McCullough Street, Sunnybank, Qld 4109 - David Sheppard
This purpose built modern medical facility will provide a fantastic opportunity for medical specialists to expand or relocate into an established medical precinct, surrounded by a network of major hospitals, general practitioners and allied health workers. Description: *Areas from 45m - 250m *500m from the Sunnybank Private Hospital and 1500m from the QEII Jubilee Hospital *Prime corner position providing excellent exposure *Close proximity to a network of referring GP #39;s, pharmacies, and retirement villages *Rare opportunity to relocate or expand your practice into a medical precinct *A state-of-the art purpose built facility for medical specialists *Tri-level contemporary design including ample basement parking and lift access *COMPLETED AND READY TO GO!From:LJHCommercial Brisbane.Views:0 0ratingsTime:00:37More inPeople Blogs

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Porland Trail Blazers vs Houston Rockets HD 720p Full Game 2012 2k
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Porland Trail Blazers vs Houston Rockets HD 720p Full Game 2012 2k - Video

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United Kingdom Talk Wednesday 7th November 2012
Chris Reardon #39;s Talk Show. Subscribe to my You Tube Channel. Username ChrisReardonUK Lots of films television in today #39;s show. I #39;ve been to see James Bond "Skyfall". X factor has become really awful. Daniel Craig. Union J. A very average boy band. No humour, but now it #39;s back. Marj likes "The Good Life", so I sing the theme tune. Still waiting for my Iphone 5. Star Trek "Enterprise". Katies scabs. The recent Dr Who series. I do not have any pay TV. You don #39;t want to have to think too much. Should I try cutting my own hair ? What you can do in front of a real friend. He was a bit gay. IBIS - cheap and cheerful. For postal mail - please send to : Chris Reardon.Two Brewers. 114 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UJ The wonderful Judi Dench. Stars and retirement. Where do you find a real man ? Dallas - last episode tonight here in the UK on Channel 5. Four star hotel - The Manhattan on Times Square. Is the subway in New York fixed yet ? http://www.unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk Chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.ukFrom:Chris ReardonViews:1 0ratingsTime:35:46More inPeople Blogs

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Skyfall(2012)[Soundtracks Compilation][Inc. Download Links]
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1419102 Micheaels Retirement 1112 HD Rev
From:TimeWarnerCableWHViews:1 0ratingsTime:00:31More inPeople Blogs

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