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January 15, 2004 - 8,783 subscribers
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UAL Benefit Cutback Plan Blasted
Excerpt: "Two of United Airlines' major unions blasted its plan to have retirees pay more for medical benefits to help it exit bankruptcy, ending months of relative tranquility at the giant carrier. The Association of Flight Attendants and the Machinists said they will fight the plan, with one Machinists official calling the airline's executives 'greedy, heartless bastards.'" (Rocky Mountain News)
Findings from the Kaiser/Hewitt 2003 Survey on Retiree Health Benefits
Excerpt: "In a new survey of some of the largest U.S. employers, 10% say they eliminated subsidized health benefits for future retirees in the past year, while 20% say they are likely to terminate retiree health coverage for future retirees in the next three years." (Hewitt)
Retirees Facing Pinch on Health Benefits
Excerpt: "Companies are drastically increasing what their retired employees pay for healthcare benefits, and many are eliminating them altogether, according to a comprehensive study on employer provisions for retiree health coverage." (Boston Globe)
New Federal Credit Law Restricts Employers' Use of Employee Medical Information
Excerpt: "A credit reporting law signed Dec. 4 by President Bush restricts employers' access to employees' credit reports that include their 'medical information.' However, the law includes an exemption designed to enable employers to investigate employee misconduct, and preempts certain more stringent state laws." (Thompson Publishing Group)
Overview: Group of Contractors' Benefits Trust Qualifies As Single Employee Welfare Benefit Plan
Excerpt: "Department of Energy contractors hired to provide environmental cleanup that together provide benefits to their employees through a trust are, in form, a bona fide group of employers that can act as an employer within the meaning of ERISA for the purpose of maintaining the trust as a single employee welfare benefit plan, according to an Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) advisory opinion letter." (CCH News & Information Library)
Employers Face Backlash From Childless Employees
Excerpt: "[W]ith the increasing adoption of [work/life] benefits and family-friendly policies, some employees without dependents may be adopting a mindset akin to 'us vs. the boss' or 'us vs. co-workers with children.'" (Thompson Publishing Group)
Overview: Tax-Free Subsidies For Employer-Sponsored Retiree Pr*scription Drug Plans
Excerpt: "[W]e briefly describe key features of the Medicare Part D pr*scription drug benefit, provide details concerning the tax-free subsidy, and identify plan design alternatives available to employers who wish to provide retiree pr*scription drug coverage." (Groom Law Group)
Tax-Free Accounts Help Pay Medical Costs
Excerpt: "The advantage is that they will allow Americans to set aside pretax money to cover medical expenses, including copays and pr*scription drug costs that are not covered by their insurance policies. The disadvantage is that they must be linked to high-deductible policies - a minimum $1,000 a year for singles and $2,000 for families." (AP via Washington Post)
AMA Applauds IoM Efforts to Address Plight of Uninsured
Press release. Excerpt: "The AMA and IOM agree -- living without health insurance is a serious health risk. It is unacceptable that 43 million Americans – 15 percent of the population – do not have basic health care coverage." (American Medical Association)
AAHP: IoM Report Sets New Marker In Debate Over Universal Coverage
Press release. Excerpt: "AAHP-HIAA President and CEO Karen Ignagni made the following statement regarding the report issued by the Institute of Medicine outlining the principles for achieving universal health coverage in the United States:" (American Association of Health Plans)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Form 5500 Filing Tips
Excerpt: "Form 5500 filing season is upon us once again. Recently, the DOL released a list of Form 5500 filing tips. The tips focus on some of the more common filing errors. The following summary identifies the filing errors and provides an explanation of how to avoid such errors:" (SunGard Corbel)
Overview: Senate Finance Committee Issues Draft of COLI Reform Bill
Excerpt: "Senate Finance Committee (SFC) Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, on January 14 released a preliminary draft of proposed reforms for the taxation of corporate-owned life insurance (COLI)." (CCH News & Information Library)
Overview: Court Says COLI On Ordinary Workers Violates Texas Law
Excerpt: "Corporate-owned life insurance (COLI) sellers and buyers were dealt a blow recently when a federal appeals court in Texas ruled that such policies could be considered illegal." (BenefitNews.com)
The Future of Broad-Based Stock Options
In excerpts from the NCEO's new issue brief on the future of broad-based stock options, NCEO Executive Director Corey Rosen reports that expensing should have little effect on stock prices and that companies are more likely to cut back on options for non-management than to cut back on options for management. (National Center for Employee Ownership)
Newly Posted Events
Compensation Consternation
Nationwide on December 4, 2003
presented by SunGard Corbel
The NEW 401(k) Regulations
Nationwide on November 18, 2003
presented by SunGard Corbel
Retiree Health Benefits
Nationwide on January 14, 2004
presented by Kaiser Family Foundation
Ask the Experts: Drug Reimportation
Nationwide on December 2, 2003
presented by Kaiser Family Foundation
IRA to IRA Transfers and Rollovers Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on January 27, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Contributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on April 2, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Beneficiary Distributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on March 2, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Fundamentals of 529 Plans Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on September 16, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: General Traditional IRA Distributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on May 11, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on February 26, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA to IRA Transfers and Rollovers Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on April 27, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Contributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on July 2, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Beneficiary Distributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on June 1, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: Handling IRA Legal Issues Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on September 16, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: General Traditional IRA Distributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on February 1, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: General Traditional IRA Distributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on November 9, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: General Traditional IRA Distributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on August 1, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA to IRA Transfers and Rollovers Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on July 27, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Contributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on October 19, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Beneficiary Distributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on August 31, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Authoritative Hierarchy and Research Techniques Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on March 11, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Coverdell Education Savings Accounts Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on September 2, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA to IRA Transfers and Rollovers Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on October 26, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Excess Contributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on January 22, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Beneficiary Distributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on November 3, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: Establishing IRAs and IRA Amendments Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on April 13, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Excess Contributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on March 3, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Compliance Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on March 25, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Authoritative Hierarchy and Research Techniques Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on September 23, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: Establishing IRAs and IRA Amendments Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on July 13, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Excess Contributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on July 22, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Compliance Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on December 2, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: Establishing IRAs and IRA Amendments Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on October 12, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Excess Contributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on October 21, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRA Contributions Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on January 2, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
Fundamentals of 529 Plans Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on May 6, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
IRAs: Handling IRA Legal Issues Telephone Seminar
Nationwide on March 4, 2004
presented by BISYS Retirement Services
PSCA 2004 Midwest Regional Conference
in Illinois on March 11, 2004
presented by Profit Sharing/401(k) Council of America (PSCA)
Designing Nonqualified Plans in 2004
Nationwide on January 27, 2004
presented by Retirement Capital Group
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Retirement Plan Administrator
for Mand Marblestone & Danziger, P.C.
in PA
Litigation Attorney
for Slevin & Hart, P.C.
in DC
401(k)/Pension Administrator
for SunGard Wealth Management Services
in KS
Inst Trust Sales Associate
for BB&T (Branch Banking & Trust Co.)
in TN
Retirement Plan Specialist (PART-TIME)
for Diversified Investment Advisors
in MI
Health & Welfare Administrator - Recordkeeping & Administration
for Black Mountain Management, Inc.
in NY
Business Partner Wanted
for Retirement Administration/Distribution/Benefits Brokerage
in DE, NJ, PA
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