Public policy debates about the nation's retirement system will rage this year as legislators consider the impact of the drop in value of equity investments in workers' 401(k) balances.

Employees sometimes lie to get what they need, but companies rarely hold them accountable. So what is the key to reducing the lies that people present in business cases? According to Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League, "The most important thing is to take decisive action." Goodell says this sends a message that you're going to enforce the rules.

Thirty years as a finance pro with the same company? It can be done, and Patricia Cochran, CFO of vision benefits provider VSP, is the proof. In a recent interview with Business Finance blogger Steve Player, Cochran offered these tips for a long, successful career in finance.

A new survey by Watson Wyatt suggests that there may be hope for workforce reduction survivors -- it appears that the worst of company layoffs is history. But history has a way of repeating itself.

These days, jobs with start-ups are more stable than those on Wall Street, according to Josh Kopelman, founder of Half.com and managing director of First Round Capital. While you may take a pay cut when joining a start-up, there are other benefits, like stock options and the chance to participate in the creation of something new.

The economic stimulus package included changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that might trouble employers. The new law extends direct enforcement of medical record privacy to any person or entity that could be defined as a business associate and requires notification of individuals whose medical records are jeopardized in a security breach, which could lead to more litigation down the road.

Health care is at the forefront of the benefits debate, but there are other pieces of the employee benefits pie worthy of attention, such as proposals on federal wage reporting and direct-deposit IRAs.

Older workers have been particularly hard hit by the financial crisis, primarily because they don't have the necessary time to earn back the money they lost. According to a report from the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), 401(k) participants' losses were largely determined by their account balance, age, and job tenure. Those with low account balances (most likely younger workers) relative to contributions experienced minimal losses, but those with more than $200,000 in account balances (most likely older workers who had been in the plan for a long time) had an average loss of more than 25 percent.

How far ahead can companies peer into the economic gloom? How are budgeting processes holding up in the downturn? Help us find out by participating in this 10-minute survey. If you respond by April 3, you will have the opportunity to enter into a drawing for one of two $100 Visa gift cards.

The 6th Annual BPM Summit, Generating Value Through Visibility, brought together some of the business world's foremost practitioners to explore the transformational role of finance in the enterprise. If you missed the live event, you can still enjoy unlimited access to the audio and slide shows from the keynote speaker presentations at our on-demand archive.