"Intent alone isn't enough to change beneficiaries on retirement plans.... ERISA requires strict adherence to plan documents, and courts will not honor beneficiary changes made through informal channels like faxes or verbal requests if the plan specifies a different procedure.... Review beneficiary designations after major life events, follow plan procedures exactly, obtain written confirmation, and act promptly." [Packaging Corp. of Am. Thrift Plan for Hourly Emps. v. Langdon, No. 25-1859 (7th Cir. Feb. 2, 2026)] MORE >>
"In effect, the DOL is signaling to courts (and the public) how it interprets [ERISA], and how plan fiduciaries should act, potentially shaping litigation outcomes and clarifying expectations without formal rulemaking. This approach appears consistent with the DOL's broader agenda aimed at reducing compliance burdens and providing plan fiduciaries with more flexibility in terms of fulfilling the obligations." MORE >>
"This article explores how participant data quietly erodes over time, and why missed deaths and missing participants are often early warning signs of broader risk. It highlights the impact of geographic dispersion and outlines how forward-looking plans are shifting from reactive fixes to defensible data governance. The result: greater confidence in the decisions that matter most as public retirement systems look toward 2026." MORE >>
"With this initiative, the President is seeking to provide a retirement vehicle for 'forgotten workers' who lack access to employer-sponsored retirement savings vehicles and related matching contributions and, who may, therefore, be disproportionately affected by gaps in retirement readiness.... While this initiative is clearly still in its conceptual stage and no proposed legislative text has been released, several implications may emerge depending on how the program is designed and effectuated." MORE >>
"A new plan floated by President Trump would provide workers who don't have employer-sponsored plans with retirement accounts. These accounts will mimic the existing Thrift Savings Plan currently used by federal workers, according to the White House. The initiative builds on a provision in the SECURE 2.0 law that would provide low-income workers with a $1,000 matching contribution to their retirement accounts beginning in 2027." MORE >>
"[R]etirement contributions don't have to be a last-minute task. Funding earlier in the year supports cash flow planning, spreads out contributions, and gives your money more time to work for you.... Early SEP IRA and SIMPLE IRA contributions give retirement assets more time to participate in market movement, which may support long term growth depending on market conditions." MORE >>
"An effective uncashed check policy starts with a clear statement of intent, creating a compliant, standardized framework for addressing uncashed checks, and ensuring consistency with ERISA, IRS, and DOL requirements.... A strong policy includes a section defining clear terminology so that all stakeholders -- plan administrators, recordkeepers, auditors, and fiduciaries -- are aligned.... [A third] section forms the core of the policy, outlining how the plan handles different uncashed check scenarios. " MORE >>
"For 2025 taxes due in 2026, the Saver's Credit is limited to $1,000 for individuals or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly whose income is less than certain thresholds and who have contributed in the previous year to a ... qualifying retirement plan.... [T]he average amount claimed by taxpayers of all filing statuses via the Saver's Credit in 2022 was $194." MORE >>
"Most advisors are using artificial intelligence (AI) to gain incremental efficiency by automating routine tasks, but the larger opportunity lies in redesigning workflows to enable proactive plan monitoring, true personalization at scale, and scalable expertise.... Differentiation is more likely to come from disciplined integration rather than speed, combining AI with human oversight, compliance guardrails, and validation protocols." MORE >>
"For crypto specifically, attention hinges on the design of the upcoming fiduciary safe harbor. This regulatory ''checklist' is intended to immunize fiduciaries from liability for investment losses, provided specific standards are met. Its critical pillars are expected to include qualified custody requirements, liquidity constraints and portfolio allocation caps. Even after the major regulatory hurdle is cleared, however, broad adoption will likely unfold more akin to a glacial shift over several years than like a speculative spark." MORE >>
"While details remain to be seen, it is believed that President Trump may consider reviving the MyRA program first introduced by President Barack Obama ... in 2014. Billed as 'starter' accounts with Roth IRA-like tax advantages, MyRAs were aimed at helping workers begin saving for retirement.... A revamped version could potentially be paired with the Saver's Match -- a federal matching contribution set to debut in 2027 for low- to moderate-income workers established under SECURE 2.0." MORE >>
"[C]lose to half of all American workers with savings in a 401(k) or similar account believe they wouldn't save for retirement without their plan. This was especially true for younger workers under the age of 35, of which 49 said they would not have saved without a retirement account." MORE >>
"The next wave of requirements includes Roth catch-up contributions of high-earners, higher IRA contribution limits, and mandatory automatic enrollment and escalation for new plans. While each provision is designed to strengthen retirement outcomes, together they significantly broaden the scope of plan sponsor responsibilities. More participants, more accounts and more complexity inevitably translate into fiduciary exposure." MORE >>
"A U.S. resident born in 2024 has an average life expectancy of 79, up more than a half-year from 2023 ... For plan sponsors and advisers, that translates into a potential distribution horizon of at least 20 to 30 years. Without incorporating realistic longevity assumptions into glide path design, withdrawal strategies and income solutions, participants face a heightened risk of outliving their savings." MORE >>
"[B]ecause the IRS has already done the work of calculating withdrawal tables meant to gradually deplete a portfolio throughout retirement, the RMD method presents a relatively easy-to-understand strategy that doesn't require special software or decision trees to implement. And with a few simple modifications ... advisors can help their clients customize the RMD method to meet their own needs and ultimately reduce the uncertainty around drawing down their portfolio in retirement!" MORE >>
"Most federal employees assume their benefits will “take care of things” if they die unexpectedly, become disabled or retire earlier than planned. It’s not a reckless assumption, but a reasonable one. After all, the federal government offers more benefits than most private employers. The problem is that they’re often misunderstood, incomplete or dependent on choices you may not have revisited in years." MORE >>
"[The] 2025 study found the funded ratio of the PPFS plans is 77.7% at the most recent measurement date, rising from 75.1% in [the] prior study. With generally strong asset performance since their most recent measurement dates, the funded ratio is projected to have reached 84.7% as of November 30, 2025.... The aggregate plan-reported funded status of [the] 2025 study shows an underfunding of $1.45 trillion at the most recent measurement date ... This gap has narrowed compared to the prior study, and is projected to have narrowed even further, to $1.04 trillion at November 30, 2025." MORE >>
"Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) are on the rise, as is employee ownership in general, according to the Employee Ownership Initiative Report. The report also noted that mandates given to [EBSA] to promote employee ownership have not been properly funded." MORE >>
"Allowing sophisticated investors to direct the investment of their own accounts into alternative investments may be the wave of the future in some profit-sharing plans. But investing for a defined benefit plan is a whole other animal. A fiduciary needs to be informed about how a defined benefit plan works so as to understand how investment return can affect the funding obligations.... Investing in alternative investments, like cryptocurrency and private equity alternatives, may not always be appropriate for all plans." MORE >>
"The suit also states that the defendant allowed BANA and its affiliate Merrill Lynch to act under the plan as trustee, custodian, recordkeeper, and/or investment manager, 'which presents conflicts of interest that implicate prohibited transactions under ERISA.' ... [The complaint also alleges] 'that Defendant has also allowed BANA to use its affiliate's role as recordkeeper to obtain information for use in its role as investment advisor.' " [Ventura v. Lithia Motors, Inc., No. 26-1786 (C.D. Calif. complaint filed Feb. 19, 2026)] MORE >>
"Empower has announced a new partnership with Blackstone, adding private equity, private credit, real estate, and infrastructure strategies to its defined contribution platform.... Plan sponsors and advisors should be asking hard questions. How do fees compare? How is liquidity managed? What happens in market stress? How is participant suitability determined? And perhaps most importantly, how do you document fiduciary prudence when offering strategies that most participants have never heard of and don't fully understand?" MORE >>
"The [ICI] survey finds that gig workers across all age groups actually report similar rates of household retirement account ownership as non-gig workers. These results suggest that the retirement system is functioning in ways that are frequently overlooked, even as policymakers continue to explore how it might better adapt to a changing workforce." MORE >>
"[T]he number of small businesses with an active retirement plan increased from fewer than one in five to nearly one in three between 2019 and 2025, representing a 58% increase.... Businesses with fewer than five employees saw a boost from 12% to 19%, while workplaces with five to nine employees increased access from 22% to 34%." MORE >>
"EBSA established the Employee Ownership Initiative and built a solid foundation for future programs in less than two years ... DEO built relationships with a wide range of federal, state, industry, and community stakeholders; spoke at events and generated articles and blogs; advised state partners and employers; and created a website to educate the public about employee ownership, employee participation, and related state programs." MORE >>
"A recent decision addressing a motion to dismiss prohibited transaction claims serves as a good reminder to plan sponsors and fiduciaries not to overlook procedural safeguards when defending against such claims, including whether plaintiffs lack Article III constitutional standing." [Peeler v. Bayada Home Health Care, Inc., No. 24-0231 (W.D.N.C. Jan. 27, 2026)] MORE >>
