| BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter |   |
October 13, 2003 - 13,400 subscribers
Today's sponsor: Thompson Publishing Group, Inc.
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
“Complying With the Wage-Hour Requirements of the Service Contract Act” A 90-Minute Interactive Audio Conference – Thursday, October 23, 2003 * 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time During this 90-minute interactive presentation, employment law attorneys Dan Abrahams and Shlomo Katz will address the basic requirements of the SCA, to include: prevailing wages, fringe benefits, conformances, the Successor Contractor rule and price adjustments. They will also discuss how the SCA can/should affect contractors’ proposals to the government, and more. Register today!
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
States Risk Bigger Losses to Fund Pensions
Excerpt: "Many state and local governments, facing ballooning pension promises to police officers, firefighters, teachers and other public employees, are rushing to sell bonds to cover the shortfall. That strategy has sometimes backfired in recent years, leaving taxpayers on the hook for even more debt." (New York Times; one-time registration required)
Results of FAS Assumptions Survey: FAS 87, FAS 106 (PDF)
7 pages. Excerpt: "Table 1 – FAS 87 Assumptions broken by type of organization (public/private/not-for-profit) – including mortality table and expenses; Table 2 – FAS 87 Assumptions broken by size of plan (small/med/large); Table 3 – FAS 106 Assumptions broken by type of organization (public/private/not-for-profit) ..." (Society of Actuaries)
Humor/Opinion: Arnold Speaks Out on the California 403(b)
Excerpt: "Special interests have polluted the 403(b) in California for years. Arcane insurance industry code written by-- surprise-- insurance interests effectively locks out meaningful vendor competition in California 403(b) plans." (403bWise.com)
Charting Your Course: a Retirement Planning Guide for Public Service Employees
56 pages. (ICMA Retirement Corporation)
Survey: IRA Ownership in 2003
Excerpt: "More U.S. households today are investing in Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) than a year ago, according to updated research released by the Investment Company Institute. The Institute's annual report on IRA ownership shows that U.S. household ownership of Roth IRAs increased 21 percent to 16 million as of June 2003." (Investment Company Institute)
Overview: IRS User Fee Provisions Are Codified and Extended Through 2004
Excerpt: "Nothing new is added to the existing user fee rules by the new Code Section 7528, except to extend the rules until the end of 2004. Details about user fees can be found in Revenue Procedure 2003-8 (this year's version of the annual IRS release on the subject) and in the Instructions to Form 8717." (EBIA)
Listing of Pension Assistance Projects for Participants
Excerpt: "If you or your pension are located within a Project's service area, call the number listed or click the underlined text to visit the Project's web site.... These non-profit programs are partly funded by the federal Administration on Aging, but have no formal federal government affiliation." (Pension Rights Center)
Socially Responsible Investment Funds Through 401k Plans Come of Age
Excerpt: "Company 401k plan administrators are increasingly offering socially responsible investment (SRI) options to their employees. Many investors are thus getting their first exposure to SRI through their 401k accounts." (SocialFunds.com)
Welcome to new BenefitsLink advertiser ERISAnalysis
Excerpt: "Tired of paying high hourly rates for professionals? Save costs on monthly/annual flat-fee service Visit our website www.erisanalysis.com-save BIG dollars-unlimited access to experienced benefits technician-NO HOURLY BILLING Confused about ever-changing benefits laws? Comprehensive review for tax savings/compliance; pre-approved prototype/volume submitters/special language-cross-testing, etc., correct errors through IRS and DOL formal plan correction programs."
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Overview: Split Dollar Policies Get Hammered; What to Do By 12/31/2003
3 pages. Excerpt: "New IRS regulations virtually eliminate the highly favorable tax treatment historically accorded the life insurance policies underlying SDAs. Our regulatory experts outline strategies to cope." (HayGroup; one-time registration required)
Disclosing Pay of Executives Often Leads to Raises
Excerpt: "Though shareholder advocates have often campaigned for disclosure, thinking that executives would be shamed by the airing of their excesses, pay has continued to rise. Disclosing pay has had the unintended consequence of creating a spiral driven upward by competition." (New York Times; one-time registration required)
NYSE Top Execs Due $22M Upon Retirement
Excerpt: "The top two executives at the New York Stock Exchange are due $22 million each when they retire, the NYSE's interim leader said, delivering on a promise of greater openness following Dick Grasso's resignation." (Washington Post)
Opinion: Can Corporate America Curb the Monster?
Excerpt: "Boards made certain that there was no downside for CEOs by granting lavish pay apart from options -- salary, bonus, long-term incentive, 'other,' even 'all other.' The adoption of multiple pay categories inflated compensation totals even as it obscured what those totals were." (Washington Post)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Retirement Plan Specialist
for Diversified Investment Advisors
in AZ
Retirement Plan Specialist (Part-Time)
for Diversified Investment Advisors
in TX
Actuary
for Swerdlin & Company
in GA
401(k) Plan Administrator
for Jones & Roth P.C.
in OR
Retirement Plan Specialist Team Leader
for Diversified Investment Advisors
in FL
Newly Posted Webcasts
(Post Yours!)
Health FSAs and Over-the-Counter Drugs
on October 20, 2003
presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America, LLC (EBIA)
Split Dollar Arrangements Under the Final Regulations and Notice 2002-8
on October 23, 2003
presented by American Bar Association
Challenges Facing the Medicaid Program in the 21st Century
on October 8, 2003
presented by KaiserNetwork.org
Women, Work, and Family Health: A Balancing Act
on October 8, 2003
presented by KaiserNetwork.org
Over-The-Counter Drug Reimbursement - FSA/HRA
on October 16, 2003
presented by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Newly Posted Conferences
(Post Yours!)
What's New With COBRA?
in ALL STATES
October 16, 2003
American Bar Association-Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
Split Dollar Arrangements: What Now?
in ALL STATES
October 28, 2003
American Bar Association-Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
49th Annual Employee Benefits Conference
in CA
November 7, 2003
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
Year-End Reporting - What To Be Prepared for in Pension Disclosures
in ALL STATES
October 21, 2003
FEI - Financial Executives International
HIPAA and Other Health Laws: North Carolina Compliance Assistance Seminar
in NC
October 28, 2003
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the North Carolina Department of Insurance
Newly Posted Press Releases
(Post Yours!)
eePulse/U of M Study-Employment Projections Up 10 Percentage Points In September
(eePulse, Inc.)
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Search BenefitsLink
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research
- Employee Benefits Library
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