| The BenefitsLink Newsletter - Retirement Plans Edition |  |
March 2, 2001
Today's sponsor: The Retirement Plan Distribution Book (click to order now) (click)
The Retirement Plan Distribution Book: No other resource is as comprehensive, yet accessible by everyone who has to answer distribution questions-- from customer service representatives to legal counsel. Available now, from National Underwriter Company, publishers of other fine compliance books including Tax Facts.
Employee Ownership Update for March 1, 2001
The NCEO's executive director reports on the SEC's guidance on option grant rescissions, DOL guidance on ERISA plan expense policies, and other developments. (The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO))
Opinion: Employer Stock in Retirement Plans is a Time Bomb
Excerpt: "401(k)s stuffed with employer stock are a national calamity. Here's how to fix it." (Time.com)
More Than 2,000 Chrysler Workers Accept Early Retirement Deals
Excerpt: "'As of the close of business Wednesday, Feb. 28, there were 2,070 out of 4,000 employees that opted to accept early retirement,' said Jodi Tinson, spokeswoman for Chrysler." (Auto.com)
Another Question is Answered in the ERISA Q&A Column
Are "Bad Boy" clauses, which result in the forfeiture of benefits, enforceable under ERISA? (BenefitsLink.com)
Vanguard to Offer Financial Engines' Advice Platform to Both Retirement Plans and Retail Customers
Excerpt: "Vanguard will be the first investment management firm to offer participants in employer retirement plans the Financial Engines' Investment Advisor(R) service at no charge. Vanguard and Financial Engines expect a second quarter 2001 rollout of the Advisor service for participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans." (PR Newswire)
Graef Crystal: Treasury's O'Neill Has Finance Lessons to Learn
Excerpt: "I assigned a value to not only [U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's] regular annual option grant [while he was an executive with Alcoa Inc.] but also eight 'reload' grants, related to options he received in past years. To O'Neill, the reload grants were simply a continuation of his original grants, and therefore were implicitly worth nothing. To understand why I disagreed, consider how reloads work." (Graef Crystal, on Bloomberg.com)
Strategic Issues in Implementing Performance-Based Equity Plans
Interview with Brett Pollak, Consultant, Foundation for Enterprise Development. Excerpt: "I have heard that performance-based plans can result in a charge to earnings. Could you expand on this issue? POLLAK: One of the most significant issues a company must consider when implementing a performance-based equity plan is the potential charge to earnings from an accounting perspective." (fed.org - The Foundation for Enterprise Development)
Market Volatility and its Effect on Your Stock Compensation Plan: Dealing With Underwater Options
Excerpt: "This article will focus on the problems that stock price volatility can create in the context of stock option plans. We will focus especially on the implications of the new accounting rules for stock options in a falling market and what companies are doing to respond to these problems." (fed.org - The Foundation for Enterprise Development)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings (Post Yours!)
| 401(k) Administrator | for Northeast Consulting Group in NJ, NY |
| 401k Compliance Testing Analyst | for Automatic Data Processing- Retirement Services in NJ |
| EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ADMINISTRATOR | for Teamvest Retirement Plan Services in NC |
| Plan Administrator | for Benefit Resources, Inc. in CA |
Newly Posted Conferences (Post Yours!)
| ICI Retirement Plans Conference | in DC on March 28, 2001 presented by Investment Company Institute |
Newly Posted Press Releases
| New Web Site - Check Out Our Dental Benefit Plans (American Association of Orthodontists) |
| American Pension Services, Inc. Celebrates First Anniversary, Announces Major Expansion (American Pension Services, Inc.) |
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