If you want to know more about the Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed “seven-day” rule on the timely deposit of employee contributions, you may want to read a recent article on the Plansponsor.com. (You will need to set up a username and password on that site, but the registration is free of charge.)

The Washington Post reports that two large companies, Lockheed Martin and Nationwide Financial Services, have seen a dramatic increase in 401(k) participation since incorporating automatic enrollment. At Nationwide, for instance, 96% of employees are participating in the retirement plan, compared with 74% two years ago.

Many small business owners fear that they can’t afford to offer their employees a 401(k) plan. Owners may also worry that they don’t have enough employees to qualify for the plan or that they will have to offer matching contributions. However, a recent article in Forbes.com puts these fears to rest by clearly up those common misconceptions and touting the benefits of 401(k) plans for small businesses, including:

Are Roth 401(k) Accounts a good retirement-related investment option? Yes, but with certain conditions, according to a new four-minute video clip on the CNN Money Web site. (You will need at least Version 9 of the Flash Player to view this online video.)

More and more people are dipping into savings, formerly set aside for retirement, to help pay for present-day expenses (e.g., mortgage payments, medical bills, gasoline, etc.). That’s according to a recent article in the “Boston Globe”. However, doing so affects how much income you will have during your retirement.

A recent editorial column in USA Today cited the benefits of leaving retirement savings in a 401(k) rather than rolling it into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) upon leaving a job. The article cites the high cost of retail IRAs and suggested either leaving the money in the former employer’s 401(k) or rolling it into the new employer’s plan.

According to an article in Employee Benefit News, the SAS 70 audit is a good place to start when researching Third Party Administrators (TPA) for your retirement plan. The SAS 70 audit (short for Statement on Auditing Standards) is conducted by an independent auditor and demonstrates the internal controls in place to ensure compliance with ERISA.

If an audit of your retirement plan is initiated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the first thing to remember is that it’s not the end of the world. Tips on how to deal with such an audit are discussed in a recent article in the IRS newsletter “Retirement News for Employers”.

With the stock market in its current state, it would be a good idea to re-examine your retirement account and the investment strategies connected with them. According to a recent article in the “Wall Street Journal” (WSJ), most people make their initial investment decisions and then forget about their retirement account. This lack of review can impact your savings over the long term.