| BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter |   |
May 18, 2006
Today's sponsor: ASPPA • Working for America's Retirement™
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
| Two Great ASPPA Conferences |
| You pick the focus and let ASPPA present the material.
Attend the new Advanced Actuarial Conference June 9-10 in Boston, MA. Targeting unique and specialized issues, this Conference is designed for practicing actuaries. Attend the Northeast Area Benefits Conference in either Tarrytown, NY on June 7th or in Boston, MA on June 8th and get the most recent legislative and regulatory information available. Better yet, attend them both! Sign up now at www.asppa.org |
| (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) |
Defined Contribution Plan Issues In Pension Reform Legislation (PDF)
9 pages. Excerpt: "The pending pension reform legislation contains critical reforms of the rules relating to defined benefit plan funding, hybrid plans, and defined contribution plans. This document focuses on a broad range of issues related to defined contribution plans and is intended to serve as a checklist with respect to those issues." (American Benefits Council)
Video: Can You Afford to Retire?
Excerpt: "Baby boomers are heading for a shock as they hit retirement: vanishing pensions and inadequate 401(k) savings. What can be done?" (Frontline via PBS)
Krispy Kreme Settles ERISA Class Action
Excerpt: "Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. will pay $4.75 million to members of its 401(k) and profit sharing plans as part of a settlement of an Employee Retirement Income Security Act class action lawsuit filed against the company and several members of its board of directors, officers and employees." (Business Insurance)
Official Predicts Minimal Effects of Pension Reform on Markets
Excerpt: "Assistant Secretary Mark Warshawsky of the Treasury Department discussed the effects of pension funding and accounting reforms on equity values and interest rates in a speech at the European Institute's Sovereign Fund Roundtable." (PLANSPONSOR.com: one-time registration required)
At Google, It's the No-Wait 401(k) Vesting, Stupid
Excerpt: "The Google employee benefits-at-a-glance handout is a jaw-dropping experience for anyone who's ever wished the boss would uncork a few more perks. Aside from providing free lunch and dinner, 'Google 401(K) Plan contributions can be up to 60 percent of salary, accompanied by a generous Google match with no vesting schedule!'" (IBM eWEEK.com Weblog)
Opinion: Retire the Number $450 Billion
Excerpt: "'A PBGC spokesman said [May 15] that $450 billion in pension underfunding was still the official government estimate.' Reuters 5/15 Hold on, what's wrong with this picture?" (Pensions & Benefits Weblog)
Hot Potato: Can Employees Handle Pension Risks Shunned by Employers?
Excerpt: "The [article includes a] table [showing] how value creation works and how risks can be shared between employers and employees in different types of plan designs." (Mercer Human Resource Consulting LLC and Mercer Investment Consulting, Inc.; one-time registration required)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Overview: Exposure Draft on Changes to Accounting for Pension & Other Postretirement Benefit Plans (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "This issue discusses Phase I of the initiative that was announced by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) late last year to make substantial changes to its accounting standards for pensions and other postretirement benefits through a two-phase initiative. FASB recently outlined Phase I in an Exposure Draft." (The Segal Company)
Hewitt Federal Legislation Quick Guide Updated as of May 16, 2006
Excerpt: "Hewitt's Federal Legislation Quick Guide provides short updates on federal legislation that is currently under active consideration by Congress or has recently been enacted into law regarding health and welfare benefit plans, retirement plans, and human resources and employment law." (Hewitt Associates)
Overview: Benefit Generosity in Voluntary Severance Plans: The U.S. Experience
Excerpt: "Donald Parsons (George Washington, Dept. of Economics) has posted on SSRN his piece on Benefit Generosity in Voluntary Severance Plans: The U.S. Experience. [The paper can be downloaded from this page: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=877903.]" (Workplace Prof Blog)
Workers Try to Find the Balance between Cash and Benefits
Excerpt: "Even if workers are satisfied with their compensation packages, they may change the mix of cash and benefits if given the chance, according to a recent survey." (PLANSPONSOR.com: one-time registration required)
NASD Awards Retired Exxon Workers $22M
Excerpt: "A NASD arbitration panel has ordered Securities America Inc., a subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial Inc., to pay 32 retired Exxon Mobil workers $22 million - one of the largest awards ever levied against a Wall Street firm." (InvestmentNews.com)
We thank and invite your attention to our additional sponsor: ASPPA • Working for America's Retirement™
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
| Don't miss the 2006 Western Benefits Conference! |
| The famed Bellagio Hotel is the site of this year's WBC, held July 16-19. Sponsored by the Western Pension & Benefits Conference and ASPPA, there are more than 50 educational sessions on retirement, health, welfare, fiduciary issues and more plus networking activities such as an exhibit hall, golf outing, Sunday reception and entertainment on Monday evening. |
| (Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor) |
Newly Posted Events
College for Advanced Management of Health Benefits
in North Carolina on September 18, 2006
presented by National Business Coalition on Health
Form 5500 Workshop
in District of Columbia on June 7, 2006
presented by Capital Chapter ISCEBS
I've Applied for the Retiree Drug Subsidy, Now What?
Nationwide on May 25, 2006
presented by Buck Consultants
Insights from the IRS
in Ohio on June 13, 2006
presented by ASPPA Benefits Council of Cleveland
National Business Coalition on Health & The Leapfrog Group's Second Annual Incentives and Rewards Workshop
in Illinois on July 19, 2006
presented by National Business Coalition on Health
National Business Coalition on Health's 2006 11th Annual Conference
in Louisiana on November 5, 2006
presented by National Business Coalition on Health
Newly Posted Press Releases
New Workplace Options Service Helps Employees Find Backup Childcare; EAP Offering Enables Customers to Locate Childcare Centers via National Database
(Workplace Options)
Fidelity and WebMD Introduce New Employer Benefits Offering to Support Growing Trend Toward Consumer-Driven Health
(Fidelity Investments)
CMS Director McClellan to Keynote Second Annual Incentives and Rewards Workshop Hosted By the National Business Coalition on Health & The Leapfrog Group
(National Business Coalition on Health)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Sales and Service Coordinator
for 401(k) Advisors
in CA
Product Implementation Manager
for CUNA Mutual Group
in WI
Associate Pension & Executive Benefit Products Manager
for CUNA Mutual Group
in WI
Manager, Benefits Administration
for EBS Benefit Solutions
in NY
Benefits Manager
for Broadcom
in CA
Global Benefits Analyst
for Towers Perrin
in CT
401(k) Administrator
for Continental Benefits Group, Inc.
in NJ
Wachovia Retirement Services Relationship Manager II
for Wachovia
in NC
Plan Administrator for Retirement Plan & ERISA Specialists
for Small Chicago TPA & law firm
in IL
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
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