Happy Thanksgiving! Our special advice to you this year: eat lots of turkey!

As you spend time with those you love, remember to give thanks to all those who are not able to be with us during this special time of year.  Especially remember our military who are serving overseas so that we are able to enjoy the freedom of a day of thanks.    

Cheers,    

Have you checked out our new brochure yet?   

Open-enrollment season for employee benefits

It's that time of year again: autumn. This season brings lots of changes. The trees turn a beautiful array of brilliant colors. It is also open-enrollment season for employee benefits. While your benefit package may look similar to last year's, it's vital you pay close attention to the details. New themes are starting to emerge in 2012.

On the retirement plan front, the biggest theme is transparency. Over the last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) worked hard with the Department of Labor to develop the transparency regulations that were issued under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act(ERISA). These regulations calls for two types of disclosures: plan-related and investment-related. The rule essentially says that any service provider to a retirement plan must disclose in writing services performed and related compensation. A similar rule, known as the participant disclosure regulation, requires that investment information and expenses be disclosed before plan participants can select an investment choice in their retirement plan.