"[T]he proposed amendments would, for plan years beginning after December 31, 2025... [1] Require defined contribution plans to furnish at least one paper pension benefit statement to participants each calendar year ... [2] Require defined benefit plans to furnish at least one paper pension benefit statement to participants every three calendar years ... [3] Require paper pension benefit statements to explain how participants may affirmatively elect electronic delivery of future statements." MORE >>
"Retirement plan administrators who rely on DOL's 2002 e-disclosure safe harbor would need to take the following actions for employees who first become eligible to participate after December 31, 2025 ... [1] Deliver a new one-time paper notice to new participants before delivering the required benefit statement electronically instead of on paper. [2] Give new participants the ability to opt out of e-delivery of all required ERISA disclosures." MORE >>
"If finalized as proposed, most participants and beneficiaries will continue to receive their retirement plan disclosures electronically, but plans will need to [1] Ensure at least one paper statement is sent on the required schedule unless the participant or beneficiary meets an electronic delivery exception, [2] Build or update processes for the new one-time paper notice for newly eligible individuals when using the 2002 safe harbor, and [3] Confirm that no participant-level fees are being charged for paper pension benefit statements under the 2020 safe harbor." MORE >>
34 pages; Mar. 19, 2026. "What's New ... [1] New box 10, 'Family leave benefits,' was added to Form 1099-G to facilitate the reporting of family leave benefits paid by state paid family and medical leave programs.... [2] Form 1099-R ... was revised to include new check boxes 7b for IRA, SEP, and SIMPLE plans, check box 7c for Trump Account reporting, and new box 7d for reporting earnings on excess contributions.... [3] Form 5498-TA, Trump Account Contribution Information, and Form 1099-LPS, Long-Term Care Premiums Paid Statement, are currently under development and projected to be released in mid-2026 for tax year 2026/filing season 2027." MORE >>
"[T]hese cases show that courts (and particularly the Sixth Circuit) are willing to scrutinize dated actuarial assumptions used by defined benefit pension plans.... [T]he tables in these cases ... are by no means outliers. Mortality tables of this vintage are used by the majority of plans nationwide. While this has been an accepted industry practice for decades, this Sixth Circuit ruling demonstrates that it is not without risk." [Reichert v. Kellogg, No. 24-1442, consol. Watt v. FedEx, No. 24-5945 (6th Cir. Mar. 16, 2026)] MORE >>
"Because payroll determines how contributions are coded and reported, it remains the foundation of compliance.... Clear communication can prevent confusion. Sponsors should explain who is affected, how the income threshold works, and what the change means for both current taxes and long-term retirement planning.... Don't overlook the enhanced catch-up limit." MORE >>
"[M]ost scenarios also show reductions in total plan costs and advisor compensation. The data also underscores a persistent reality: smaller plans continue to pay significantly more than their larger counterparts, and cost variation across providers remains substantial." MORE >>
"Electing to terminate a defined benefit pension plan is one of the most effective ways to eliminate long-term risk.... Decisions have to be made with the best interests of your participants in mind, and longer processes often equal greater costs. [This article explores] how the plan termination process works, the benefits of a faster plan termination, and how to find the best partner for the process." MORE >>
"Communications leaders should play a leading role in the application and understanding of new and evolving tools such as artificial intelligence.... The era of searching for information is quickly being replaced with the era of simply asking for it. This means communicators must also focus on how the people they serve use AI to find information." MORE >>
"Generally, documents sent by mail are considered timely if they are postmarked on or before the applicable due date. In the past, mail dropped off at the post office or put in a public mailbox before the final pickup time would be postmarked that same day. Under the new process, a same-day postmark is no longer certain." MORE >>
"Longer life expectancies, shifting workforce dynamics, and the gradual disappearance of defined benefit pensions are forcing employers and retirement plan sponsors to rethink how plans are designed and communicated.... Employers that embrace thoughtful plan design, behavioral insights, and improved participant engagement can help workers avoid common mistakes and build stronger retirement security." MORE >>
"Regulators and consumer advocates are raising concerns about how indexed illustrations are presented to consumers, focusing on complex illustrations and potentially inflated return projections that could mislead buyers planning for retirement." MORE >>
"Plan sponsors need to keep their plans in compliance with the nondiscrimination rules to remain qualified, and this is normally accomplished by performing annual testing that demonstrates compliance. In certain cases where a plan passes the testing by a significant margin, plan sponsors are permitted to perform the testing on a three-year cycle if there have been no significant changes to the plan or the workforce." MORE >>
"[F]or federal employees and other government workers, the decision to convert money from a Traditional TSP to Roth may require more careful timing than the headlines suggest. As 2026 approaches, Roth conversions are still allowed, but the tax planning surrounding them is becoming more complex." MORE >>
"The Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the [IRS] invite the public to submit recommendations for items to be included on the 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan.... Please submit recommendations for guidance by Friday, May 29, 2026, for possible inclusion on the original 2026-2027 Priority Guidance Plan." MORE >>
"The Program is open to employers, plan sponsors, unions, and supporting practitioners (like lawyers and actuaries).... Submissions to the Program are made electronically.... The Program also includes a searchable database that will serve as a public repository of opinion letters issued by the Office of the General Counsel from 1974 to date." MORE >>
"Over the past decade, private equity has significantly accelerated consolidation across the retirement and benefits industries.... For plan sponsors, the key takeaway is not to avoid PE-backed firms -- but to ensure that evaluation processes remain objective, transparent, and well documented." MORE >>
"Effective minutes typically document: [1] Who attended the meeting and in what capacity; [2] Materials reviewed, such as benchmarking reports, investment performance data, or consultant recommendations; [3] Key discussion points, including questions raised and alternatives considered; [4] Decisions made, along with the rationale (even at a high level); and [5] Follow‑up items, such as issuing an RFP, placing an investment on a watchlist, or requesting additional analysis." MORE >>
"AI tools are increasingly used in benefits administration.... While these tools can improve efficiency, they also introduce new cybersecurity risks that fiduciaries must evaluate.... Based on the DOL's guidance and emerging best practices, fiduciaries should consider implementing the following measures: [1] Vendor due diligence.... [2] Contractual protections.... [3] Participant education.... [4] Employee education.... [5] Documentation." MORE >>
"The problem isn't technology. The problem is faith. People believe numbers because they look confident. A spreadsheet never hesitates, never admits it's confused, and never says, 'I might be wrong.' Human beings, on the other hand, are messy, so we trust the neat rows instead of the messy reality. That's how you get late deposit calculations based on the wrong pay frequency or eligibility lists that still include employees who retired during the Bush presidency." MORE >>
"This notice provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates ... and the 24-month average segment rates ... [as well as] the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities ... as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate[.]" MORE >>
"Nearly two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, making it critical that benefits communication doesn't treat health and financial wellness as separate conversations. This article outlines how employers can build year-round communication strategies—beyond annual enrollment—that connect daily spending, debt, HSA contributions, and long-term savings into a coherent picture." MORE >>
"[The IRS] has specific language and procedures to correct plan errors ... [R]efunds distributed to HCEs [in error] are considered 'overpayments,' that is, amounts paid to participants that should not have been.... In general, the IRS's correction rules require the Plan to request that participants repay the overpayment.... However, the SECURE 2.0 Act made fixing this problem easier if the overpayment is an 'inadvertent benefit overpayment' or 'IBO'." MORE >>
"The Treasury Department and IRS recently released additional guidance related to these accounts within two coordinated notices of proposed rulemaking that address the critical threshold questions of [1] how Trump accounts are opened generally, and [2] how the one-time $1,000 government 'pilot program' contribution is deposited into the accounts of eligible children born from 2025 through 2028." MORE >>
