In a recent SavingforCollege.com article​, Government Savings President Peg Creonte shares why family and friends might consider giving the gift of education savings this holiday season and explains how Ascensus' Ugift program makes the 529 gifting process simple and secure. ​

Ascensus' data on employer changes to retirement plan matching contributions is highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal feature​. The article notes that more employers that had decreased or suspended their match over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic are "reversing course as their businesses rebound."

Next Development in Series of Technology Investments Is Designed to Create Efficiencies for Advisors and Drive Analytics-Informed Behavior

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Technology-Enabled Service Provider Shares Insights, Analysis, and Educational Resources

Dresher, PA—Ascensus, whose technology and expertise help millions of people save for retirement, education, and healthcare, is supporting institutional partners, advisors, and their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic via a variety of approaches that include COVID-19-specific resources, infographics, behavioral analytics, legislative insights, and more.

It's safe to say that the environment in which we're living and coping today is unlike any most of us have seen in our lifetimes. Worry for our own health and that of our loved ones, challenges to the operation of virtually every type of business, social distancing, travel restrictions, and startling global financial market volatility sometimes feel beyond our ability to process.

In a recent PLANSPONSOR article​, ​SVP Barb Van Zomeren discusses the key changes that the SECURE Act brings to retirement plans. "The increase in the age for RMDs, the elimination of the ability of certain beneficiaries to stretch IRA payments over their lifetime, and the exception to the 10% early distribution penalty for distributions for birth or adoption of a child are the most urgent [changes] for plan sponsors to address," she states. Van Zomeren says that more clarification is needed on the elimination of the distribution penalty for birth or adoption and the open-ended repayment period before plan sponsors should let participants take advantage of this feature. "Right now, plan sponsors should educate themselves [about SECURE Act provisions], prioritize which are impactful immediately, and consider others for plan design…Considering the law was enacted late in last year with a January 1, 2020, effective date, there will be additional guidance and relief [the retirement plan industry] should watch for," she concludes.

Ascensus President David Musto contributed a byline to PLANADVISER in which he encourages political influencers to look beyond next year’s election and consider our nation’s outlook in 2044. Based on a retirement age of 67,  the average American worker is expected to retire in 2044. Will these workers be able to retire comfortably, having accumulated adequate savings? Musto highlights how the passage of the SECURE Act, with its provisions incentivizing retirement plan creation and increasing plan accessibility, might help boost their chances. "Kudos to Congress for working together to propose meaningful and much-needed retirement reform legislation. We’re almost over the hurdle and on our way to a brighter retirement future for all Americans," he concludes.