With the help from BenefitsLink, we link you to the freshest news, analysis, opinions and government documents about employee benefit plans. The scope includes compliance, administration, design (especially cost savings), and policy. Scroll down on the link section below to see what's available.

These articles cover all kinds of plans:

• 401(k), pension, profit-sharing and other retirement plans; group health, disability and other kinds of welfare plans; and executive benefits
• ERISA plans sponsored by private employers, and ERISA-exempt plans sponsored by governments, churches, or for executives only.

Additionally, listed below are trending topics that we think are important to Virtus Fiduciary Consulting clients:

Working with a Retirement Professional Promotes Plan Success  - Virtus clients have been confident of this fact for some time, now there's a study to prove it! We appreciate the plan sponsors who demonstrate a commitment in fulfilling their roles as fiduciaries by using resources in areas that provide the expertise needed to promote successful outcomes.

The "Fiduciary" Fad: Can Anyone Be a Fiduciary? - A recent trend has been to outsource most or all fiduciary functions. But buyer beware, do you know what you are paying for?

Participation Rates in 401(k) Plans Greater for Men vs Women - Given all the recent interest in pay equity between the sexes, this article caught my eye. Not surprisingly, men participate and contribute more into their 401(k) accounts but the difference is a small margin. There are several other interesting bits of information in the article as well.