Thursday, December 3, 2009

Investment Advisor, December 2009

In his bylined article, Walking the Fiduciary Line on Retirement, Scott Revare discusses the risk that advisors to 401(k) plans face if they also provide advice to plan participants. Increasing regulatory pressures may result in the requirement that retirement plans and their participants have separate advisors, acting as separate fiduciaries. One solution for broker/dealers and advisors who work with plan sponsors is to provide participant advice through the use of remote RIAs. Read the article.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Forbes.com, Nov. 2, 2009

Backing Up the Brokers
Brokers who sell retirement savings plans will soon need to meet stricter fiduciary standards for providing information to plan participants. Scott Revare looks at how registered representatives and their broker/dealers will be able to accomplish this Read more.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Investment News, Sept. 20,2009

Scott Revare was quoted in Sara Hansard’s article Congress to Tackle Rule on Retirement Advice about pending legislation that would require that advice given to 401(k) participants be provided by independent advisors (rather than by brokers affiliated with financial services firms as was proposed by the Bush administration.) According to Revare, many 401(k) plan providers offer a full range of services, including providing fund options, assisting companies in selecting funds in the plan, and participant education. “While in some cases that can be very convenient for the employer, it can also limit their choice,” said Revare. This decision “will force the availability of more choices for different vendors to provide different services within the plan.” Read more.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Village Voice, Sept. 4, 2009

In his article Labor Day Ideas for Broke Stay-at-Homes, reporter Roy Edroso mentions Smart401k's recommendation that it's a perfect time to review 401(k) goals.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Market Watch, Sept. 4, 2009

Smart401(k) says Labor Day is a Perfect Time to Review 401(k) Goals. Read the news release.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Ignites, July 30, 2009

Scott Revare’s article, Why 401(k) Advice Reform May Boost Funds, appeared on this subscription-only, mutual fund industry news service. Revare discusses the pending federal legislation regarding advisory services for 401(k) plan participants and plan sponsors. Research shows that few 401(k) participants really understand how to effectively monitor and manage their plan investments. An advice-focused initiative from the government could really help participants and serve to make them more active participants in their plans. While new legislation might initially make things tougher on mutual fund companies, it could ultimately create circumstances that will increase their asset inflows.

Monday, July 20, 2009

401kwire.com, June 23, 2009


Smart401K is mentioned in An Advice Specialist Reaches Out To Advisors, on this online publication for defined contribution executives. The article announces the hiring of Scott Swezey as a vice president who will focus on advisory firms, broker/dealers and plan providers. According to President Scott Revare, Smart401K is currently working with several defined contribution players, including Gallagher Retirement Services, JP Morgan and SageView Advisory Group.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Wall Street Journal, June 13, 2009

Smart 401k President Scott Holsopple was quoted in Kelly Greene’s “Ask Encore” column in the Wall Street Journal. In A 401(k) Borrower Can’t Benefit From Fund Losses, Greene’s experts responded to a question about accounting for 401(k) loan defaults when the fund has lost it’s value. Holsopple explained that, “If you can't repay the loan, it would be considered ordinary income on which you would owe income tax, plus a 10% penalty if you are under age 59½.” However, “even if you have a 401(k) loan that goes into default, it won't leave a bad mark on your credit, because you were borrowing from yourself,” he added. Read more.


Monday, June 1, 2009

YouTube.com

Watch this video about Smart401k and learn how they can help you manage your 401k-type plan investments.

Friday, May 29, 2009

News Release, April 23, 2009

Smart401k® Hires Impact Communications to Promote 401(k) Review Services

Scott Revare, CEO and co-founder of Smart401k® (www.smart401k.com), today announced the hiring of Impact Communications to promote the firm’s advice services for employees who invest in employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Read more.

RetirementRevised.com, April 22, 2009


Scott Holsopple, interviewed for this retirement Web site, addressed the issue of what to do if your employer’s 401(k) has been reduced (but not eliminated.) “…it makes sense to continue contributing to the level of your match. Or, if you’re married, make sure your spouse is contributing enough to get the full employer match.” Read more. 

AARP Bulletin, February 2, 2009


Scott Revare was quoted by journalist David Burge in his article Swallow Hard: What To Do If Hard Times Scramble Your Retirement. Speaking of the trend of struggling corporations to suspend their 401(k) matches, Scott says, “Even though they've taken away the match, you still have to save for retirement. “It makes your portion of the contribution all the more important - and the contribution ceilings are higher than those for IRAs.” With regard to how you invest your contributions, it depends on how much time you have before retirement. "The key thing is how much time you have to wait out this market decline," Revare said. "This is obviously a very severe recession we're in now. Over time, in every other situation we've ever had, the market has eventually reached new highs." 

El Paso Times


El Paso Times, January 11, 2009

In Smart Money Moves for 2009: Get Back to Financial Basics, David Burge offers readers some financial tips. In addition to building an emergency fund and paying off credit card balances, delaying large purchases and continuing to save for retirement. He quoted Scott Revare, who suggests taking a look at your workplace retirement plan sometime soon. Often retirement plans add or drop mutual funds as investment choices at the beginning of the year. “Usually, the new funds coming into a plan are the best-performing funds,” Revare said. “Even the best mutual funds ‘took a beating’ in 2008. What's important is to look at how you're diversified and allocated across different types of funds.”

El Paso Times, January 4, 2009

David Burge’s article Create Emergency Fund, Experts Urge explores ways people can save money, both for emergencies and for retirement. Scott Revare, a frequent expert resource for journalist David Burge, said now is the ideal time to contribute to a retirement savings plan such as a 401(k). “Stock prices for many blue-chip companies are where they were 10 years ago. The ideal time to contribute to your 401(k) is when the market is relatively low. “Stocks are the only thing people don't like to buy when they're on sale.”

El Paso Times, September 21, 2008

In Penalties for Cashing in 401(k) Avoidable, David Burge explores options for what to do with 401(k) investments when changing jobs. Scott Revare, interviewed for the article, said cashing out your 401(k) doesn't make sense financially. The only ‘viable options’ are to roll your money into an IRA, keep it where it is with your old employer's plan or roll it over into your new employer's plan. “It's not an easy decision," Revare said. "There's no slam-dunk answer. We usually counsel people to roll their money into an IRA so they have more fund choices and more control over their account.”

El Paso Times, August 17, 2008

David Burge interview Scott Revare for his article, Despite Tough Times, Keep on Saving. Revare’s advice was to keep on saving, and not to cut back. “It's tax-deferred; it takes less of a bite out of your paycheck than other ways of saving because it's coming out on a pretax basis,” Revare said. “Plus, there's the employer match.”

El Paso Times, July 20, 2008

In Weigh Risks of Stock Market Volatility, journalist David Burge looks at what advisors should do in the emerging bear market. He quotes Scott Revare, who said, “If your time horizon for investing is more than five years and you have a diversified portfolio, ‘stick to your guns.’” He added that if your time horizon is less than five years, you should be in more conservative investments.

El Paso Times, July 13, 2008

Scott Revare was quoted in David Burge’s article, Economy Magnifies Retirement Trepidation. Revare advises against early withdrawals from one’s 401(k) and encourages people not to stop their regular contributions - even during tough times.

Wall Street Journal, August 30, 2006


Smart401k was listed as a resource for consumers in the article More Employers to Offer Advice on 401(k) Plans. The article discussed the legislation that had recently been signed that encouraged employers to offer 401(k) investing advice to their employees.

What’s New in Benefits & Compensation, June 1, 2005

Scott Revare was quoted in Increasing Employees’ Retirement Savings: Strategies That Work, in this newsletter for corporate benefits managers. “Encouraging folks to budget what they need now makes it easier to get them to set savings agendas, too.”

Doctor’s Digest, June 1, 2005


In an article comparing the two basic types of retirement savings, Scot Revare advocates the use of a diversified portfolio.

Portland Press Herald, May 17, 2005


Founder and Chief Investment Officer Scott Revare comments on the common mistakes people make with their 401(k) plans. 

The Sacramento Bee, May 15, 2005


Scott Revare states that individuals must take control of their own retirement planning.

Kiplinger's Money Matters, October 31, 2005


Smart401k was mentioned in an article entitled Paying for 401k Advice Might Just Pay Off as being a resource for people who want help managing their 401k investments and aren’t getting the support they need from online retirement tools or general investing advice. The investors profiled in the article wanted specific recommendations on which of their plan’s funds they should invest in and what the allocations should be - and got that with Smart401k. Read more.


Associated Press, April 24, 2005

Scott Revare offers a few tips for keeping track of your 401(k) investments. The article appeared in over 50 high profile publications across the country.

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