BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter
Employee Benefits Jobs
401(k) Plan Administration Specialist
for Edd Holder and Associates in FL
Participant Education Specialist
for New York Life Retirement Plan Services in MA
Senior Consultant, HR Communications Leader
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Director, Account Management - IRC26812
for Lincoln Financial Group in ANY STATE
Mgr National Acct Consultants
for The Standard in OR
Sr Employee Benefits Cnslt
for The Standard in NY
Dedicated Retirement Counselor
for Prudential in CT, NY
Limited Duration Benefits Analyst
for MTA, New York City Transit in NY
Post Your Job on EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com
Webcasts and Conferences
ASPPA Annual Conference 2011 in Maryland on October 23, 2011 presented by ASPPA (American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries)
Retirement Plan Basics Bootcamp in California on August 2, 2011 presented by Actuarial Consultants, Inc.
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"Because of the need to provide immediate guidance for the payment of benefits under plans with valuation dates during August 2011, PBGC finds that good cause exists for making the assumptions set forth in this amendment effective less than 30 days after publication." (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation)
The ERISA Outline Book, 2011 Edition Available Now! [Advert.]
Industry bestseller! Valued by every practitioner. The ERISA Outline Book by Sal L. Tripodi, J.D., LL.M. provides everything you need to know affecting retirement plans. Subscribe online and get automatic updates!
"One of the items that does not change is the effective date of the change in the 404(c) regulations. The participant fee disclosure rules removed most all disclosure requirements from the ERISA §404(c) regulations and moved them to the new 404(a) rules which apply to all participant-directed defined contribution plans." (SunGard Relius)
"The DOL stated that this modification to the transition rule was intended to align the effective date of the participant-level disclosure rules with the effective date of the fiduciary-level disclosure rules under the 408(b)(2) Interim Final Regulations." (Proskauer Rose LLP)
"Wisconsin employers who were waiting on resolution of the Wisconsin tax issue before amending their 401(k) plans and 403(b) plans to permit In-Plan Roth Conversions may now wish to proceed with the plan amendments." (DeWitt Ross & Stevens S.C.)
A Focus on Second Quarter 2011 Pension Plan Funding Experience (PDF)
"Prism examines the effect of changes in the assets and liabilities of a model defined benefit plan on its funded ratio over the four most recent quarters, viewing such changes through a marked-to-market lens. During Q2 2011, the funded status of the model plan declined by one percentage point: from 87 percent to 86 percent." (The Segal Group, Inc.)
Effective Due Diligence for Guaranteed Lifetime Income Options (PDF)
"Sometimes called total income replacement solutions or personal pension plans, [Guaranteed lifetime income options] look like an attractive choice for those who experienced sudden drops in the value of 'target date' funds during the last few years. However, GLIOs are not a good fit for everyone, and therefore, plan sponsors must assess this new type of investment vehicle in light of their fiduciary duties, the likelihood of evolving regulations and potential future market impacts." (Benefits Quarterly via Institutional Retirement Income Council)
Interviews with Boomers, Retirees and Pre-Retirees, Arrive at Same Conclusion About Approaching Retirement: Paralysis
"A report commissioned by Boston College's Financial Security Project . . . found that the baby boomers and pre-retirees felt 'immobilized in retirement planning efforts by a combination of practical and emotional factors.'" (Trustees of Boston College, Center for Retirement Research)
Questions to Ask Before Adding a Retirement Income Option to Plans
"According to 'Effective Due Diligence for Guaranteed Lifetime Income Options,' while GLIOs are gaining momentum in certain segments of the market and more benefits professionals are becoming aware of them, adoption remains relatively low today." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)
Most Participants Would Not Be Saving If Not for 401(k) Plans
"The research, which highlights the savings behaviors of current and former 401(k) participants in a challenging economy, also found nearly one in five respondents (19%) currently enrolled in workplace plans report they have no retirement savings at all outside this key retirement benefit." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)
AARP Publishes Two Reports on Social Security: What Beneficiaries Knows About Benefits; How They Make Retirement Decisions
"The findings from the study are published in two reports. The first report includes the findings related to assessing knowledge of Social Security retirement benefits. The second report presents the findings related to how people decide when to claim benefits." (AARP)
"Atlanta's plan is a clear break from the past. However, the city takes the middle road by offering a hybrid plan, which targets the newly hired, who are eligible for a small DB component plus a DC plan." (Governing)
Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
"Potential comments might address the need for more generous effective dates, covering equity grants outstanding as of June 24, 2011, since already outstanding grants and the plans under which they were granted, cannot easily be amended to be made deductible under these new rules." (Miller & Chevalier Chartered)
"[T]he law provides that: No government treatment or legal status, effect, right, benefit, privilege, protection or responsibility relating to marriage, whether deriving from statute, administrative or court rule, public policy, common law or any other source of law, shall differ based on the parties to the marriage being or having been of the same-s.ex rather than a different se.x." (McDermott Will & Emery)
Stock Options: A Critical Element of CEO Compensation
"[A] recent study confirms that options have an effect on risk taking -- both dampening it and increasing it, depending on stock price. It's an issue that 'should be factored into compensation structure by boards of directors.'" (Human Resource Executive Online)
Press Releases
McGraw-Hill and ExpertPlan Launch New Presentation Tool (ExpertPlan)
Schwab Sees Continued Growth Among Independent Recordkeeper Clients (Charles Schwab Corporation)
Institutional Retirement Income Council Releases Issue Brief On Due Diligence For Guaranteed Lifetime Income Options (Institutional Retirement Income Council)
Drinker Biddle Launches Financial Services ERISA Team (Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP)
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