Top 10 Resources
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ASPPA
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Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
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fi360
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PLANSPONSOR
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401kSpecialist
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Employee Benefits News (EBN)
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BenefitsLink
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Center for Retirement Research at Boston College
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NAPA Net Daily
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National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA)
Retirement planning has never been more complex and varied than it is today. From the constant ebb and flow of shifting government policies to educating investors on alternative investment strategies, it can be difficult for retirement plan professionals to keep up with the needs (and demands) of today's investors.
As third-party administrators for retirement plans, we get it, in fact, we're here to help. Below we compiled a list of the top 10 industry resources that will not only keep you apprised of what's going on in the realm of retirement planning but could also take your own knowledge to the next level.
1) ASPPA
ASPAA is one of five organizations that make up the American Retirement Association, and is considered the "premier national organization for retirement plan professionals." A nonprofit focused on educating retirement professionals in the industry and to "create a framework of public policy that gives every working American the ability to have a comfortable retirement," ASPPA produces content daily and at all levels of the retirement industry, from current investment trends to what's happening at the legislative level.
Though there is a cost to become a member (which gains you valuable access to a large array of on-going education and credentialing opportunities, among other things) there is no fee for the vast amount of content produced on their news feed.
2) The Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Though this one may be a bit obvious, the IRS provides a large amount of free and public resources, including forms and articles regarding filing, credits & reductions, payments, and refunds. Also, they offer several e-news subscriptions based on your area of interest, and which will help keep you informed on what's new for retirement plans, recently published guidance, along with any current employee plan determinations and examinations of activities.
3) fi360
fi360 helps retirement professionals "use prudent fiduciary practices to profitably gather, grow and protect investors’ assets." Essentially, they provide the necessary tools and education (including AIF® and AIFA® designation programs) to fiduciaries of retirement plans. Furthermore, they offer an array of resources, from webinars and blogs to current industry news that will help keep you informed.
4) PLANSPONSOR
PLANSPONSOR label themselves as "the trusted information and solutions resource for America’s retirement benefits decision makers." Indeed, their website and news feed is quite impressive, offering a substantial list of relevant news articles ranging into the thousands. They cover everything related to the retirement industry, from new emerging data and research in the retirement plan space to overarching trends in investment behavior.
See how to Choose the Right TPA for Your Retirement Plans
5) 401k Specialist Magazine
401(k) Specialist is focused on helping retirement plan advisors by "equipping [them]… with the vision, specialized knowledge and cutting-edge technology that are vital to their success in a dynamic marketplace." In a nutshell, they provide great and very relevant daily news articles regarding the 401(k) industry, including information on fiduciaries, rollovers, and investments, among many other things.
6) Employee Benefits News (EBN)
Employee Benefits News (EBN) focuses on helping benefit managers "meet the challenges of reducing care costs, improving retirement plan options, developing voluntary benefits packages, and complying with state and federal regulations." They do this by offering an array of webinars, case studies, white papers, and a long list of blog articles covering everything imaginable regarding employee benefits. EBN does an amazing job at helping one navigate the complexities of employee benefit planning and delivery in order to meet overall strategic goals and objectives.
7) BenefitsLink
BenefitsLink focuses on supporting individuals who administer, give compliance advice about, design, make policy for, or otherwise are concerned with, employee benefit plans sponsored by either private or governmental employers. They have a regular newsletter you can subscribe to that is a compilation of syndicated articles that are industry related and currently trending online.
8) Center for Retirement Research at Boston College
Considered by the New York Times as the "nation's leading center in retirement research," the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College does truly live up to this bestowed title as their research dives into anything affecting individuals' income in retirement, including social security, state and local pensions, health and long-term care, financial retirement, and older workers. Their newsroom offers resources in the forms of podcasts, briefs, and blogs.
9) NAPA Net Daily
The National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) is a sister organization to ASPAA and one of the five organizations that make up the American Retirement Association. NAPA is an advocacy group focused on the issues that matter specifically to retirement plan advisors. Their news feed includes topics ranging from managing a practice to optimizing retirement plans.
10) National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA)
Founded in 1890, this organization is certainly the oldest and possibly the largest (they boast that they are), while their membership includes: "Insurance Agents, Financial Advisors, Multiline Agents, Health Insurance and Employee Benefits Specialists, Both Captive and Independent Advisors, New to the Business, Industry Leaders and Everyone in Between."
Their newsletter is chock-full of industry news, updates, investment trends, shifting policies, as well as articles offering insights and strategies into building one's business.
BONUS RESOURCE!!!
Because you made it to the bottom of our list, we thought we'd give one more resource. Yes, that's right! There is one more valuable resource you can add to your list to keep you up-to-date on all things retirement.
11) Leading Retirement Solutions
We couldn't leave ourselves off this list because, well, as third-party administrators we work hard to support business owners, while partnering with many financial advisors and other retirement organizations in the industry. We maintain a blog that aims to keep you up-to-date on relevant industry news and trends, as well as educational articles and individual success stories, among other things (like this resource guide!). 
For more tips and information regarding retirement plans, contact us.
