ResearchWise Tools and calculators for employers and participants.     Annuities Do Annuities Make Sense in a 457(b)? The low down on annuities inside a 457(b). [403(b)wise] Variable Annuities: What You Should Know [SEC]   Making Sense of Annuities Detailed information on annuities from Frank Armstrong, president of Investor Solutions, and author of "The Informed Investor." [Frank Armstrong]   Books Common Sense On Mutual Funds: New Imperatives for the Intelligent Investor [John Bogle]   The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio [William J. Bernstein]   Nine Steps to Financial Freedom [Suze Orman]   The Average Family's Guide to Financial Freedom [Bill and Mary Toohey]   Calculators 457(b) Contribution Calculator Powerful 457(b) calculator that factors in among other things, employer matching, and age 50 catch-up provision. Can accommodate contributions to 403(b), 401(k) and dual contributions to both a 457(b) and a 403(b). [TIAA-CREF]   2004 457(b) Contribution Limit Calculation Tools Calculates total deferral limits — including age-50 and double limit catch-ups — and produces a printable summary that an employee can give to their employer. View as calculator or worksheet. [Fidelity]   How Much is That Fund Costing You? Input fund ticker symbol and account balance to find out fund's total cost. Click "details" to learn historical returns, comparison to benchmarks, and a break down of fund costs including loads and 12b-1 fees, etc. [FOLIOfn] Find fund ticker symbols here.   Inflation Calculator The CPI inflation calculator uses the average Consumer Price Index for a given calendar year. This data represents changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. [EF Moody]   Employer Employers are Paying Closer Attention to 401(k) Fees Excerpt: "A survey by Deloitte & Touche revealed a disconnect between what employers thought about expenses and what they actually knew." [Dow Jones News Service]   403(b) and 457 Side-by-Side Comparison from the IRS (pdf) Compare features of retirement plans (including 401(k) plans) for tax exempt and government employers. [IRS] Limit Number of 403(b)/457(b) Vendors Through RFP Process [403(b)wise]   The RFP Process [403(b)wise]   Selecting Vendors for Your Defined Contribution Plan [Shultz, Collins, Lawson, Chambers, Inc.]   Can There Be Too Much Choice in a Retirement Savings Plan? [Vanguard]   The Fewer the Better Streamlining investment choices can improve employee participation and decision making. [HR]   403(b) and 457 Fiduciary Liability Employers take note: plan sponsors must act quickly to properly protect themselves against allegations of fiduciary liability. [403(b)wise]   Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974(ERISA) [BenefitsAlert]   Financial Planner/Advisor Information 8 Things Your Financial Planner Won't Tell You [MSN]   IRS Information 403(b) and 457 Side-by-Side Comparison from the IRS (pdf) Compare features of retirement plans (including 401(k) plans) for tax exempt and government employers. [IRS] IRS Home Page [irs.gov]   IRS 403(b)/457 Online Resource Guide [irs.gov] IRS Note: You may direct technical and procedural questions concerning retirement plans to a special IRS toll free number (877) 829-5500. The call center is open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. You may also email questions.   Mutual Funds Invest Wisely: An Introduction to Mutual Funds [SEC]   10 Simple Rules For Fund Investors [Washington Post]   Mutual FundAlarm [FundAlarm]   Mutual Fund Screener [Money Magazine]   Mutual Fund Selector [Morningstar]   Willful Ignorance: The Mutual Fund Investor Most mutual fund investors don't know how much they're paying to have their money managed. What's worse is that they mostly don't care. [MSNBC]   How Much is That Fund Costing You? Input fund ticker symbol and account balance to find out fund's total cost. Click "details" to learn historical returns, comparison to benchmarks, and a break down of fund costs including loads and 12b-1 fees, etc. [FOLIOfn] Find fund ticker symbols here.   Retirement Retirement Clock Ticking Top 10 ways to beat the clock and prepare for retirement. [US Department of Labor] Retirement Storm Clouds It's not the economy or the stock market, but faulty assumptions that could rain on your retirement. [Money] Financial Birthdays of Note As you approach retirement it's time to make a list of the financial birthdays that may be significant to decisions about your retirement plan money. [Fidelity]   Do We Have a Retirement Crisis in America? A summary of the findings on the state of retirement income security in the United States. [TIAA-CREF Institute]   Taking Minimum Required Distributions Includes definition of Minimum Required Distribution (MRD), rules, calculation methods, links to MRD calculators and more. [Fidelity]   Social Security Information 2003 Social Security Retirement Earnings Test Many employers, including educational institutions, take advantage of the expertise of older workers by hiring their own former full-time employees or other retirees on a part-time basis. For retirees this may affect their Social Security benefits.[TIAA-CREF] Social Security Home Page [Social Security Administration]   Home | Disclaimer | © 2003-2004 bWise Guys, LLC. All rights reserved.