News release: “Following President Obama’s State of the Union Address in which he proposed a blueprint for an American economy built to last, the U.S. Departments of the Treasury and Labor today announced two executive actions designed to help enhance security for millions of Americans saving for retirement. The measures announced today will expand transparency in the 401(k) plan marketplace and broaden the availability of retirement plan options so Americans can maximize their ability to save responsibly and securely. The Treasury Department’s proposal will reduce regulatory burdens and make it easier for retirees to choose to receive their benefits as a stream of income in regular payments for as long as they live. These flexible “lifetime income” options can provide greater certainty in retirement and minimize the risk of retirees outliving or underutilizing their retirement savings. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration today issued a final rule that will provide employers sponsoring pension and 401(k) plans with information about the administrative and investment costs associated with providing such plans to their workers. The department also announced a three-month extension in the effective date of this rule, meaning service providers must be in compliance by July 1, 2012, for new and existing contracts or arrangements between ERISA-covered plans and service providers.”