Benefits & ERISA Law

Blogging on Fixing the 401(k)

Sometimes the Zeitgeist is hard to read, other times it hits you smack in the face with a two by four. As we move towards the end of the year (the business year anyway, as we all know how much work actually gets done between Christmas eve and New Year’s day), the constant drumbeat of news drives home one unassailable fact, which is that ignorance cannot possibly be bliss when it comes to investing, particularly with regard to pension and 401(k) funds. From Madoff (hey, what an amazing long term track record; lets put our money there without further analysis) to pension plan fiduciaries buying CDOS they know nothing about based solely on the recommendation of the seller, it has become obvious that a little - or more - knowledge would actually be a wonderful thing. Josh Itzoe, author of “Fixing the 401(k): What Fiduciaries Must Know (And Do) To Help Employees Retire Successfully,” thinks so too, and has elected to step into the breach, launching a new blog, not coincidentally also titled Fixing the 401(k), intended to provide commentary and information related to the business of retirement investing.

As anyone who has read Josh’s work knows, he firmly believes that problems ranging from a lack of transparency to excessive fees to a host of other problems bedevil the industry, and certainly the past year has done little to undercut his thesis. It should be helpful to have his voice added to the commentary already out there.

Full post as published by Boston ERISA Law Blog on December 24, 2008 (boomark / email).