BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter
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Webcasts and Conferences
401(k) Rekon Advisor Symposium - Englewood in Colorado on October 11, 2011 presented by 401(k) Rekon
COBRA Compliance Workshop in Oregon on September 23, 2011 presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Keeping SERPs out of the 409A Penalty Box: How to Safeguard Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans Webinar Nationwide on September 14, 2011 presented by BNA Business & Legal
Self-Auditing Your Employee Benefits: A Guide to What May Need Fixing Nationwide on October 20, 2011 presented by Lorman Education Services
The Open Enrollment Challenge: Strategies for Success Nationwide on October 14, 2011 presented by Lorman Education Services
Wellness Programs: Underlying Legal Requirements and Impact Developments Nationwide on October 25, 2011 presented by Lorman Education Services
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"The IRS has a good FAQ for Hardship Distributions [at http://www.irs.gov/retirement/article/0,,id=162416,00.html ], but here are some of the basics . . . ." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
The biggest event of the year! [Advert.]
70+ interactive sessions on hot topics shaping the industry, up to 25 ASPPA CPE credits/23 ERPA and JBEA CPE credits, 80+ displays in the exhibit hall. Register to attend AND register for Hill Visits TODAY ONLY to get ?early bird? pricing.
"This month, we examine the requirements of the equitable surcharge remedy, recently recognized by the Supreme Court in CIGNA v. Amara as an appropriate vehicle for the recovery of monetary relief for breach of fiduciary duty. We also review the decision in Bacon v. Stiefel Laboratories, denying class certification because recovery depended on an individualized showing of reliance. The Florida district court's decision in Stiefel provides a roadmap for defending against class claims." (Proskauer Rose LLP)
"The IRS has announced tax relief for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the federal disaster area of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Holt, Lafayette and Platte counties in Missouri affected by flooding beginning on June 1, 2011." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business / CCH)
"[The court] rejected plaintiffs' arguments that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties when they made misstatements in various Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and other public statements that were incorporated into a plan prospectus because defendants were not acting as ERISA fiduciaries when they made the alleged misstatements." (planadviser; free registration required)
Upgrade Employee Benefit Plan Auditing, Says ERISA Advisory Council (PDF)
"The council studied whether the requirements of ERISA Sections 103 and 104 provide the protections to plan participants and beneficiaries as originally intended. The council narrowed its focus to three issues: audit and auditor quality, limited-scope audits and Section 403(b) plan audits." (Thompson Publishing Group via ERISAdiagnostics Inc.)
Fiduciary Education Resource Guide (PDF)
"This PRI Fiduciary Education Resource Guide lists some of the most useful governmental publications and information compiled by industry trade associations designed to assist plan fiduciaries in the design, operations and maintenance of employee benefit plans." (Pension Resource Institute, LLC)
Retirement Tax Proposal Could Endanger 401(k)s: Brookings Plan Swaps Tax Breaks for Flat Tax Credit
"About three quarters of Americans would have more of a financial incentive to save for retirement if the tax credit were set at a 30% rate for all Americans, according to the proposal. At that same rate, however, upper-income households, now in the 35% marginal tax bracket, would lose tax benefits." (Investment News; free registration required)
10 Things Pension Plans Won't Tell You
The article covers recent research findings, funding of pensions, investments, and the administration of benefit distributions. (Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
Welcome to 401(k) Day 2011: 'Make Today Your 401(k) Day!'
"The 2011 401(k) Day campaign uses brightly colored presentations of food-themed analogies to encourage participants to take action regarding their personal retirement savings. The communications can be customized with your company's logo and contact information for distribution to your employees." (Profit Sharing / 401k Council of America)
CalSTRS Establishes Pension Abuse Hotline
"The California State Teachers' Retirement System said it has established a Pension Abuse Reporting Hotline and a Compensation Review Unit designed to curb pension spiking. The hotline allows callers to anonymously report cases of suspected pension abuse. The toll-free number is (855) 844-2468." (The Sacramento Bee)
Rhode Island Public Employee Unions 'Fight Back' for Pensions
"'Politicians at the Rhode Island State House are at it again-and your pension is in serious jeopardy.' That is the theme of a 'fight back'' campaign launched Friday by the state's public employee unions, working together as the Rhode Island Retirement Security Coalition." (The Providence Journal Co.)
Oregon PERS Agrees to Release Individuals' Pension Data
"The Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) in November will make public the amounts it pays to retirees, under a settlement between the fund and two newspapers." (Business Law Daily)
About 4,100 Arkansas Public Retirees Still on the Job
"The way it worked for 1,464 of them in fiscal 2010 and for 1,475 in fiscal 2011 was that they were on the job when they reached their 65th birthdays—retirement day. They simply kept working as they began drawing the pension checks in addition to the paychecks." (Hearst Communications Inc.)
Former Bush Economic Advisor Proposes Retirement Reform Plan
"The proposal . . . would replace the existing tax deductions with a flat-rate refundable credit that serves as a matching contribution into a retirement savings account." (AdvisorOne)
Change Would Boost Washington State's Future Pension Costs
"Following [the state actuary's] advice this year would boost the amount of taxpayer money that the Legislature must invest in employee pensions by $368 mil.lion in 2013–15 alone. Local governments would see increases of $298 mil.lion, and employees would pay $248 mil.lion more . . . ." (The Olympian)
Wyoming Lawmakers Move Forward with State Retirement System Changes
"State legislators [have] agreed to move forward draft legislation to eliminate the state law authorizing cost-of-living increases for 17,000 retired public employees in order to help restore to full health the state's retirement plan." (The Billings Gazette)
Phyllis Borzi Discusses Being a Plan Fiduciary
"The [target page presents] an edited version of testimony given July 26 by Phyllis C. Borzi, assistant secretary of labor in charge of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, before the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions." (Investment News; free registration required)
"Small employers would be more likely to offer a retirement plan if they were not required to make contributions when times are tough." (Profit Sharing / 401k Council of America)
Benefits in General; Executive Compensation
"A Maryland circuit court judge recently ordered the state to recognize the spousal rights of a same-s.ex couple who had married in the District of Columbia." (Mercer LLC)
Defending Against Shareholder 'Say-on-Pay' Suits (PDF)
"This update examines the litigation risks posed by a non-binding shareholder vote disapproving executive compensation, which raises the stakes on say-on-pay votes in an unexpected way." (Dechert LLP)
Mail Delivery May Stop in 2012 Unless Congress Frees Up Cash
"President Barack Obama's administration is proposing to move the Postal Service's Sept. 30 deadline for a $5.5 bil.lion payment toward future retirees' health benefits, which it says it can't afford, back by 90 days." (Bloomberg L.P.)
National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2010
"The [survey] provides comprehensive measures of occupational earnings, compensation cost trends, the incidence of benefits, and detailed benefit provisions." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
At-Home Workers Create New Risks for Employers
"As more companies allow their workforces to move from cubicles to home offices, outdated risk management plans may not be keeping up with the exposures related to at-home workers." (Business Insurance)
Press Releases
As Tax Filing Extension Deadlines Near, IRS and HHS Announce New Round of Outreach to Small Businesses and Practitioners (Internal Revenue Service (IRS))
IRS Releases Specifications for Registered Tax Return Preparer Test (Internal Revenue Service (IRS))
Pre-Paid Legal Services Becomes LegalShield (Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.)
CalSTRS Pension Abuse Hotline and Compensation Review Unit Announced (CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System))
Ogletree Deakins Deepens Employee Benefits Practice Group, Welcomes Benjamin Delancy as Shareholder (Ogletree Deakins)
Wagner Law Group Celebrates 15th Anniversary (Wagner Law Group P.C.)
Presidium Retirement Advisers, Inc. Is Certified For Fiduciary Excellence (Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX))
Employers Adding 401(k) Plan Features to Drive Participation and Savings, Says New Schwab Data (Charles Schwab Corporation)
Non-Traditional Asset Options in Employer-sponsored Retirement Plans Grow in Appeal (NUA Advisors, LLC)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Introduces Benefit Plans for Cities and Towns Adopting New Municipal Health Law (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts)
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