| BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter |   |
August 13, 2003 - 13,309 subscribers
Today's sponsor: Thompson Publishing Group, Inc.
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“Coordination of Leave Strategies” 8/18/03 * 2:00 p.m. ET Do you have difficulty appropriately responding to leave requests? You are not alone! Many employers find recalling all the requirements of the seemingly overlapping leave laws to be both taxing and complicated. Luckily, we can help! Register for this exclusive audio conference and in just 90 minutes, and without leaving your desk, you can learn strategies to identify and avoid potential problems in handling employee leave requests.
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
Auto Companies and United Auto Workers May Deal On Pensions
Excerpt: "[T]he United Auto Workers' tough public stance on protecting health care benefits could make pensions a dominant topic during contract talks between the union and Detroit's Big Three automakers. As health care costs continue to rise, automakers are looking elsewhere for cuts. They could save millions by tweaking annual pension payment increases or initiating employee contributions." (The Detroit News)
How to Tell if Your Company's Pension Plan Is Sinking
Excerpt: "The scary news for anyone monitoring these figures-- and board members should be-- is that bad as they are, they don't reflect the whole problem. U.S. pension accounting is a notoriously perverse art ..." (Corporate Board Member)
Analysis: Court Decision Casts Doubt on Cash Balance Plan Conversions
Excerpt: "The repercussions of her case come as a bit of a shock to the widowed grandmother who started it all. Cooper says she's not a crusader. When she filed suit against IBM in 1999, she was just a middle-aged, mid-level worker who felt she was getting shafted by a company cost-cutting move." (Los Angeles Times via Baltimore Sun)
Overview: Final Section 457 Regulations (PDF)
7 pages. Excerpt: "The final regulations are generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2001, subject to a number of transition rules. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2001 and prior to January 1, 2004, a plan that is operated in accordance with a reasonable good faith interpretation of section 457(b) will be treated as an eligible plan ..." (Sutherland Asbill & Brennan)
Overview: IRS Publishes Final Rules for Providing ERISA Section 204(h) Notices (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "These notice rules apply to: defined benefit plans and money purchase pension plans (including target benefit plans) that are subject to ERISA, and that are amended to significantly reduce benefits. Governmental plans and plans sponsored by churches that elect not to be covered under ERISA ('non-electing church plans') are not subject to these notice rules." (CIGNA's Pension Analyst)
Another Question is Answered in the Tax Exempt Organizations Q&A Column
Can an employer transfer amounts in a 403(b) arrangement established by the employer into a 401(k) plan established by the employer? (BenefitsLink.com)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
California's Benefit Software Inc. Helps Companies Help Employees
Excerpt: "Employers pay staff anything from 25 percent to 35 percent above their agreed salaries in work-related benefits, according to Santa Barbara entrepreneur Larry DuBois.... Mr. DuBois says not all employers realize the cost of benefits and very few workers appreciate the full value of their employment package. His company's mission is to change all that." (Santa Barbara News-Press via NewsAlert.com)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Plan Administrator
for JRN Benefits
in CA
Qualified Plan Consultant
for Benefit Solutions Corp
in IL, IN, MN, WI
Implementation Specialist
for Milliman USA
in TX
Retirement Benefits Manager
for The Pyramids Group (Executive Search Firm)
in OH
Pension Plan Administrator
for The Pension Alliance
in PA
Client Services Consultant
for American United Life Insurance Company (AUL)
in DC, MD, VA
Health Benefits Analyst
for The Segal Company
in GA
Newly Posted Conferences
(Post Yours!)
Introduction to ESOPs - Burlingame
in CA
October 1, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs - Costa Mesa
in CA
October 2, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in NE
October 14, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in IA
October 15, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in IL
October 22, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in MN
October 23, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in NJ
October 28, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in PA
October 29, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in MA
October 30, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in OH
November 4, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in MO
November 5, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Introduction to ESOPs
in TX
November 6, 2003
National Center for Employee Ownership
Town Hall Meeting on the Health Care Crisis 2003
in TX
August 27, 2003
Austin Chapter International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS)
The Beat Goes On: New Cash Balance Cases That May Rock Things
in DC
August 26, 2003
American Bar Association Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
Newly Posted Press Releases
(Post Yours!)
New Features Provide Branding Options for Sponsors and Administrators
(Deferral.com, Inc.)
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
Copyright 2003 BenefitsLink.com, Inc.; except that you can forward this email in full (including this boilerplate part) or otherwise reprint this email in full (including this boilerplate part) without obtaining our permission.
Published by:
BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
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Editor and Publisher: David Rhett Baker, J.D.
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