[Guidance Overview]
The Impact of Mergers, Acquisitions and Dispositions on Your Retirement Plan
20 pages. Excerpt: "A slight variation in details surrounding a purchase or sale transaction may present different legal and regulatory issues for your retirement plan(s). Use this white paper to guide and enhance discussions about your retirement plan(s)."
(The Principal Financial Group)

[Guidance Overview]
IRS Memo Explains How Agency May Serve Tax Levies on Retirement Plans
Excerpt: "The IRS can serve two types of tax levies on a delinquent taxpayer's vested retirement benefits, an internal agency memo explains."
(Mercer)

[Guidance Overview]
PBGC Proposes Notice, Liability and Recordkeeping Rules for Certain Facility Closings
Excerpt: "Employers would have less wiggle room in assessing whether a facility closure causing termination of more than 20% of active participants ('4062(e) event') has occurred, under an Aug. 9 PBGC proposal."
(Mercer)

[Guidance Overview]
Summary of Four Different Proposed or Final Rules Relating to 401(k) Fee Disclosure or Investment Advice Guidance (PDF)
6 pages.
(Charles C. Shulman, Esq.)

[Guidance Overview]
Ninth Circuit: State Court Has Jurisdiction to Determine Whether Domestic Relations Order Was Qualified
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: In a footnote citing a lengthy list of court decisions, the Ninth Circuit observed that every court that has considered the question has concluded that state courts have jurisdiction to decide whether a DRO is qualified."
(Employee Benefits Institute of America)

The Gospel According to 401(k) Reformer Matthew Hutcheson
Excerpt: "An advocate . . . for higher fiduciary standards and greater fee transparency throughout the financial services industry, [Matthew Hutcheson] has testified before Congress, written articles and books, helped start the 401(k) rating service, Brightscope.com, and been active in the year-old Committee for the Fiduciary Standard."
(Retirement Income Journal)

It's Not Just 12(b)-1 Fees, Say Critics of SEC's Approach to Mutual Fund Cost Disclosures
Excerpt: "As it attempts to crack down on 12(b)-1 fees, the Securities and Exchange Commission is ignoring a raft of mutual fund charges that investors are paying indirectly, critics contend."
(Investment News)

Disclosure of Contributions Is Proposed for Candidates Running for Boards of CalPERS, CalSTRS
The bill passed the California Assembly almost unanimously, and now goes to the California Senate.
(AP via New York Times; free registration required)

Auto-IRA Legislation Introduced in Both Houses of Congress
Excerpt: "The bills set the stage for serious work on the proposals in the next Congress. Auto-IRAs are a key plank in the Obama administration's retirement policy agenda, and the bills may draw support from Republicans who have backed prior auto-IRA bills."
(Mercer)

[Opinion]
Opinion: Union Plans Want to Be Next Pension Bailout
Excerpt: "Big Labor is going Code Red on the issue, in the face of a looming accounting change that would force companies to confront the Ponzi-style nature of multi-employer pension plans."
(Wall Street Journal)

Making Sense of Clawbacks And Holdbacks
Excerpt: "Designed properly, such a practice can be an important mechanism for corporate accountability."
(BusinessWeek)

What Effect Will DOMA Cases Have on Benefit Plans?
Excerpt: "Although numerous federal laws are affected by the definition of a spouse, of particular note are those statutes affecting surviving spousal benefits, spousal consent requirements, qualified domestic relations orders, COBRA, flexible spending accounts, and taxation of medical benefits."
(BNA Federal Tax Blogs)

Employee Ownership Update for August 16, 2010
NCEO Executive Director Corey Rosen discusses the following: A survey found a large drop in employee engagement, an important predictor of corporate success. The NCEO is getting more calls from people seeking ESOP distributions or equity rights they were promised. The UK has started privatizing public services. The NCEO now has a list of ESOP companies available. The NCEO seeks input on the site for its 2013 conference and is cosponsoring the Ownership Thinking conference.
(National Center for Employee Ownership)

[Opinion]
Mr. President, It's Time to Climb the Social Security Actuarial Learning Curve
Excerpt: "The Democratic doctrine requires doing everything possible to preserve Social Security in its current form. That includes using sentimental rhetoric to trumpet good news while obscuring any bad news, such as acknowledging that this year the vaunted program will pay out more than it takes in. The Republican doctrine requires not lifting a finger to get in the way of Democrats' preservation effort."
(Amity Shlaes via Bloomberg.com)

2010 Los Angeles 401(k)/DC/DB Fiduciary Summit
in California on September 16, 2010
presented by Xponential Growth Solutions

Audiocast: GASB Preliminary Views - Advanced Topics
Nationwide on August 25, 2010
presented by Conference of Consulting Actuaries

Fee Disclosure Under Final DOL 408(b)(2) Regs Webcast
Nationwide on August 26, 2010
presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators

The Latest on National Healthcare Reform
in Maryland on September 2, 2010
presented by WEB

Click to post your webcast or conference

PBGC Assumes Responsibility for News-Journal Corp. Pension Plan
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)

US Department of Labor and Nebraska Department of Insurance to Offer Free Health Law Seminar
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

ERIC Urges Adoption of More Flexible Standard to Maintain Grandfathered Status Under PPACA
ERIC (ERISA Industry Committee)

MetLife Study Highlights Cost-Effective Strategies Small Business Can Use To Build Competitive Benefits Programs and Help Improve Workplace Satisfaction
MetLife

Tim Connolly, a Towers Watson Veteran, Joins Mercer’s Retirement, Risk and Finance Business in the Great Lakes
Mercer

RPAG Adds MPI's Stylus Web Tool to Scorecard
Retirement Plan Advisory Group

BB&T is One of First Providers to Offer FDIC-insured Deposit Program to 401(k) Plan Sponsors and Participants
BB&T Corporation

Three Companies Receive C. Everett Koop National Health Award for Efforts to Improve Employee Health and Reduce Costs
The Health Project (THP)

ACOPA Announces New Leadership
ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries (ACOPA)

Click to post your press release

Group Supervisor, Benefits & Employee Records
for Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in CA

Retirement Plan Senior Consultant
for McPhillips Roberts & Deans PLC
in VA

401k Advisor
for Newport Capital Group
in NJ

Retirement Plan Service Specialist
for Retirement Alliance, Inc
in NH

Account Manager - Client Services
for ExpertPlan, Inc.
in NJ

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