"A decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals confirms a lower court ruling that a retirement plan membership letter and beneficiary designation form for a nonqualified plan 'did not clearly and unequivocally incorporate by reference the entirety' of the terms of a plan sponsor's qualified retirement plan. For this reason, the terms of the qualified plan cannot determine a beneficiary under the nonqualified plan, the court ruled." [E & J Gallo Winery v. Rogers, No. 13-55327 (9th Cir. Feb. 23, 2015; unpublished)]  MORE >>