YOU HAVE FOUND OUR OLD WEB SITE. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR NEW AND IMPROVED SITE!     ResearchWise Tools, resources and calculators for employers and participants.     Annuities Do Annuities Make Sense in a 403(b)? The low down on annuities inside a 403(b). [403(b)wise] On the Annuities Alert When it comes to variable annuities the SEC and NASD say: Watch your back. [The Washington Post]   Variable Annuities: Beyond the Hard Sell Excerpt: "Investing in a variable annuity within a tax-deferred account ... may not be a good idea." [NASD Investor Alert]   10 Questions to Ask Before Buying a 403(b) Fixed Annuity [403(b)wise]   Variable Annuities: What You Should Know [SEC]   Making Sense of Annuities Detailed information on annuities from Frank Armstrong, president of Investor Solutions, and author of "The Informed Investor." [Frank Armstrong]   Books Teach and Retire Rich Easy-to-read guide to wealth building for educators by 403(b)wise. [403(b)wise]   Consumer Reports Financial Information [Consumer Reports]   Common Sense On Mutual Funds: New Imperatives for the Intelligent Investor [John Bogle]   The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio [William J. Bernstein]   Nine Steps to Financial Freedom [Suze Orman]   The Average Family's Guide to Financial Freedom [Bill and Mary Toohey]   Calculators Comprehensive List of Calculators Mortgage to retirement calculators. [Mortgageloan.com]   403(b) Contribution Calculator Powerful, easy-to-use 403(b) calculator. [Dinkytown Calculators]   Minimum Distribution Calculator Generally, you must begin taking minimum distributions from your 403(b) by the April 1st following the year you reach age 70 1/2, or the April 1st following the year you retire, if later. [TIAA-CREF]   How Much is That Fund Costing You? Input fund ticker symbol and account balance to find out fund's total cost. Click "details" to learn historical returns, comparison to benchmarks, and a break down of fund costs including loads and 12b-1 fees, etc. [FOLIOfn] Find fund ticker symbols here.   Inflation Calculator This CPI inflation calculator uses the average Consumer Price Index for a given calendar year. This data represents changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. [EF Moody]   Employer Employer Get Wise Guide for the New 403(b) Regs New regs offer employers unique opportunity to drastically improve their plan. [403(b)wise]   IRS 403(b) Plan Checklist This "quick tool" is designed to help employers keep their plan in compliance. [IRS]   2007 403(b) ERISA Checklist Compliance checklist for DB, DC and 403(b)Plans subject to ERISA. [Prudential]   Benefits Officials: Stop Acting Like 98-pound Weaklings Coming 403(b) regulations offer opportunity to get tough with vendors on pricing. [403(b)wise]   Employer Guide to Retirement Plan Fees Clear, comprehensive guide to fiduciary responsibility and plan fees; includes glossary of terms. [The Standard]   Target Funds + Auto Enroll + Auto Increase = Homerun Vanguard says putting all three in place gives employers best chance to help employees effectively save for retirement (free login). [Plan Sponsor] School Districts Would Be Wise to Adopt a 403(b) Plan Document School business official explains how a plan document benefits employer and employee. [403(b)wise]   Less is More (free login) Survey: Road to DC happiness includes fewer investment options, advice. [Plan Sponsor] 403(b)wise Will Speak to Your Group 403(b)wise founder and teacher Dan Otter will get your group 403(b) wise! [403(b)wise]   Is Your 403(b) New School or Old School? The 403(b) is a-changing. Is your plan still old school? [403(b)wise]   403(b) and 457 Side-by-Side Comparison from the IRS (pdf) Compare features of retirement plans (including 401(k) plans) for tax exempt and government employers. [IRS]   Fiduciary Education Campaign New government program to educate employers about fiduciary duties. [Department of Labor]   Employers are Paying Closer Attention to 401(k) Fees Excerpt: "A survey by Deloitte & Touche revealed a disconnect between what employers thought about expenses and what they actually knew." [Dow Jones News Service]   Limit Number of 403(b)/457(b) Vendors Through RFP Process [403(b)wise]   The RFP Process [403(b)wise]   Selecting Vendors for Your Defined Contribution Plan [Shultz, Collins, Lawson, Chambers, Inc.]   Can There Be Too Much Choice in a Retirement Savings Plan? [Vanguard]   The Fewer the Better Streamlining investment choices can improve employee participation and decision making. [HR]   403(b) and 457 Fiduciary Liability Employers take note: plan sponsors must act quickly to properly protect themselves against allegations of fiduciary liability. [403(b)wise]   Guidance on 403(b) Automatic Enrollment New IRS guidance allows considerable flexibility. [Gardner Carton & Douglas]   A Look at Plan Fees for Employers A resource to help employers better understand retirement plan fees and expenses. [Department of Labor]   Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974(ERISA) [US Department of Labor]   Financial Planner/Advisor Information Investment Advisers: What You Need to Know Before Choosing One [SEC]   8 Things Your Financial Planner Won't Tell You [MSN]   Information on fee-only planners including how to locate one. [NAPFA]   IRS 403(b) Information IRS 403(b) Plan Checklist This "quick tool" is designed to help employers keep their plan in compliance. [IRS]   IRS Publication 571 in pdf format [irs.gov]   403(b) and 457 Side-by-Side Comparison from the IRS (pdf) Compare features of retirement plans (including 401(k) plans) for tax exempt and government employers. [IRS]   IRS 403(b) FAQs Topics include: part-time employees, hold harmless agreements, EGTRRA, common compliance errors and more. [irs.gov]   IRS 403(b)/457 Online Resource Guide [irs.gov] IRS Revenue Ruling 90-24 Exact IRS wording for 403(b) transfers. [Taxlinks]   IRS Home Page [irs.gov]   IRS Note: You may direct technical and procedural questions concerning retirement plans to a special IRS toll free number (877) 829-5500. The call center is open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. You may also email questions.   Mutual Funds Invest Wisely: An Introduction to Mutual Funds [SEC]   What Every Investor Should Know About Mutual Funds [AAII]   10 Simple Rules For Fund Investors [Washington Post]   Mutual FundAlarm [FundAlarm]   Fund Democracy [Fund Democracy]   Mutual Fund Screener [Money Magazine]   Mutual Fund Selector [Morningstar]   Willful Ignorance: The Mutual Fund Investor Most mutual fund investors don't know how much they're paying to have their money managed. What's worse is that they mostly don't care. [MSNBC]   How Much is That Fund Costing You? Input fund ticker symbol and account balance to find out fund's total cost. Click "details" to learn historical returns, comparison to benchmarks, and a break down of fund costs including loads and 12b-1 fees, etc. [FOLIOfn] Find fund ticker symbols here.   Retirement Retirement Clock Ticking Top 10 ways to beat the clock and prepare for retirement. [US Department of Labor] Retirement Storm Clouds It's not the economy or the stock market, but faulty assumptions that could rain on your retirement. [Money] Do We Have a Retirement Crisis in America? A summary of the findings on the state of retirement income security in the United States. [TIAA-CREF Institute] Many Retirees Select Lump Sum Pros and cons of lump sum retirement payout vs. lifetime annuity. [USA Today] Financial Birthdays of Note As you approach retirement it's time to make a list of the financial birthdays that may be significant to decisions about your retirement plan money. [Fidelity]   State Activities: Retired Educators Associations (REAs) [AARP]   Taking Minimum Required Distributions Includes definition of Minimum Required Distribution (MRD), rules, calculation methods, links to MRD calculators and more. [Fidelity]   Social Security Information 2003 Social Security Retirement Earnings Test Many employers, including educational institutions, take advantage of the expertise of older workers by hiring their own former full-time employees or other retirees on a part-time basis. For retirees this may affect their Social Security benefits. [TIAA-CREF] Social Security Home Page [Social Security Administration]     Home | Disclaimer | © 2001-2008 bWise Guys, LLC. All rights reserved.				Related Information Employer Get Wise Guide to New 403(b) Regs Got a 403(b) question? Got a 403(b) answer? Join Discussion. 403(b) Market Statistics.