According to an article on PlanSponsor.com (free registration required), a survey conducted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans showed that a majority of employers offer their employees educational sessions, materials and other tools to assist with retirement planning.

During a recession, many people have a tendency to panic if they see their retirement accounts falling. Some people may even overreact by taking money out of their account or they stop contributing altogether. Participants who are fearfully eyeing their accounts may want to read a recent New York Times article, “You Can Panic in a Recession or You Can Strategize.”  The article deals with investment strategies as a whole (not just retirement), but it does offer some tried and true advice: MaximizeYour 401(k).

The economy’s recent downturn has people worrying about their ability to save enough money to sustain them through their retirement years. That’s according to a survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and discussed on CNNMoney.com.

Do you want to hold onto more employees over the long term? Offer them a retirement plan. A recent study by MetLife Insurance indicates that more than half of employees do their retirement investing and saving via their employers.

With the recent economic downturn, many employers are seeing an increase in employees taking out 401(k) loans. An article on CFO.com reports jumps of 13 to 19 percent in the number of loans and hardship withdrawals. Despite their popularity however, these loans can be burdensome to both the employer and the employee.

While the rate of people contributing to some sort of retirement plan has increased, the bad news is there are still mistakes people make when planning for retirement. U.S. News and World Report recently highlighted common blunders that can cost people in the long run. These include:

Do you have questions about fees related to your retirement plan? You’re not alone, according to a study by market research firm Chatham Partners. The study, which was recently mentioned in Employee Benefit News, found that while plan sponsors feel fee disclosures are sufficient for now, many want access to more details in order to stay ahead of the curve. While 79 percent of those surveyed recognize the importance of understanding plan-related fees, only 58 percent felt that they did understand them well enough to keep one step ahead of questions from participants.