In light of the recent WSJ study, article examines the pros and cons of including automatic enrollment in the 401k plan. There's no cut-and-dried answer as to whether it increases or decreases savings rates.

USN&WR outlines seven attributes of a good 401k plan. I'm not entirely sure I agree 100%, but I don't disagree with any of these.

Hit by a disaster? Some companies offer assistance either formally or informally.

AIDS isn't so much a gay men's disease as it is a poor man's disease.

There are some striking similarities between the Borg experience that the current "always-on" connection many feel today. While there's one big difference — choice — it's a parallel worth thinking about.

A 9.2% unemployment rate means that more than 90% of workers are employed. That, when combined with decentralization and a shame factor, has meant that the unemployed are invisible this time around. HT: employmentblawg.

There are many studies showing that anti-depressants aren't effective. Op-ed points out that this is another case where statistics can be manipulated to show whatever you like, and questions the research methodology of those studies.

Automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans seems to be an idea that's backfiring.

Nobody likes to think about it. But there are documents for which every person at least decide whether they need one — and then share the location(s) with family members.

Perhaps we Americans should take a look at Canada before we reject the notion of $1 coins outright. Loonies are actually easier to manage than dollar bills, and I love dollar coins — when I can get them. The banks don't want 'em because most people object to them.

"…about four in 10 (42 percent) employees strongly agree that a well-communicated benefits program would make them less likely to leave their jobs, according to the survey, which polled 2,117 U.S. benefits decision-makers and 4,213 employed adults."

Study suggests that $30 billion in health care savings could be saved each year just by selecting providers that offer the lowest prices. The catch? Providers themselves often don't know what the procedures cost.

The JFK Turtles account (which is hilarious) also was an experiment in social media — that revealed some interesting insights.

Someone asks a good question: why bother thinking about retirement at all? No, it's not as ludicrous a thought as you might think, although the answer is that you do need to think about it…for several good reasons.

A 0.2% increase in FUTA rates that was enacted during the 1970s finally expires on June 30, dropping the rate down to 0.6% on the first $7,000 in earnings each year per worker.

Home ownership is still part of the American Dream.

Is your doctor's office run like a business? The answer might surprise you — about half of the doctors one person "invoiced" for overly long waiting times paid up.

Reader comments associated with the "Juggling Jobs" article. I'm surprised not to see anything about the rise in the use of temporary/contingent workers, consultants, short-term contracts, etc., that we saw starting in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Surely that's got something to do with it.

More and more people, particularly recent college graduates, are working full-time hours — by having multiple part-time jobs. But signs are clear that it's not a sustainable lifestyle.

Tornadoes, cicadas, heat, floods, a literal train wreck…and a wedding!

In a split across party lines, the Sixth Circuit court upholds the individual mandate as Constitutional — because self-insurance (i.e., paying the fine) is a valid option.

One way to manage your career is to keep a work diary — it offers a place to vent as well as a way to track your successes and mistakes.

Yes, there is such a thing as a solid public defined benefit plan. A study of six (including North Carolina's) shows that they have a common trait: they have been fully funded. They also have been carefully managed.

Beginning in 2012, there will be a requirement for more transparency in (and emphasis on) disclosure of fees for retirement plans. But they won't cover disclosure of all fees, so there will still be items that can quietly eat into the account balances.

We have our first tropical system of the season.

I had put a blog post together for BenefitsFringe about this that would have showed up on Wednesday morning…if the government hadn't decided to scrap the program. Good for them! (My post was critical of the idea.)

Today's anti-Muslim rhetoric bears a striking resemblance to yesterday's anti-Catholic rhetoric, particularly as regards immigration and whether or not they can be "American."

Does the FMLA as applied to state governments violate the Eleventh Amendment? The SCOTUS has granted certiorari in a case that will determine that answer.

Do employers incur additional risks if they let their former employees keep their funds in their 401k plan rather than taking a distribution or rolling them over?

The Pope sends a tweet! It was prepared for him, but he actually made the final click (which was, truthfully, a tap).

A few tips (no pun intended) for handling methodology for rewarding a good housekeeper. I'd always wondered about amounts and end-of-stay vs. every-day myself.

Finally!

It's not as simple as just whether you're fat or thin anymore.

One reason to think twice about filing jointly: if your spouse is hiding something from you, it's not easy to later get off the hook.

Five tips to avoid the places where children are most likely to appear. Four of them are actually useful.

"The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that makers of generic drugs cannot be sued for failing to warn consumers of the possible side effects of their products if they copy the exact warnings on the brand-name equivalents of the medicines." My reaction: "Whaaaaat??"

SHRM releases its annual employee benefits research report. Lots of good stuff, including an executive summary for those who don't have the time or energy to dig into the specifics.