[Official Guidance]
Text of Notice on the Availability of Year 2010 Form M-1 with Electronic Filing Option (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "This document announces the availability of the Year 2010 Form M-1, Annual Report for Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements and Certain Entities Claiming Exception. It is generally identical to the 2009 Form M-1, except that a few changes were made to update the Part 7 compliance questions to reflect the current provisions of Part 7 that were effective in 2010."
(U.S. Employee Benefits Security Administration)

[Guidance Overview]
The New Form ADV Part 2: Convergence of ERISA and Securities Law Disclosure (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "The range and depth of disclosure in new Part 2 has increased significantly. . . . Not only has the content changed, but the distinct rules for preparing, updating, filing, and delivering each of the three documents must be carefully followed. Timing is critical because of the first deadline for December 31 year-end RIAs."
(Reish & Reicher)

[Guidance Overview]
The Fiduciary Process is Only As Good As the Questions You Ask
Excerpt: "In the ongoing saga of fiduciary lawsuits, it appears the plaintiffs finally scored a win, albeit small. This court case, Tibble v. Edison International, decided earlier this summer may have interesting ramifications for our industry with regard to accepted standards of fiduciary oversight. Unlike most of the revenue sharing/excessive fee cases filed in the past few years, this one was, at least partially, decided in the plaintiffs' favor."
(Jeb Graham via 401khelpcenter.com)

[Guidance Overview]
AIG Incentive Savings Plan Participant Sues PwC over Audits
Excerpt: "A former employee of American International Group Inc. has filed a lawsuit claiming PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P. was negligent in its audits of AIG and the board of the bailed-out insurer failed to pursue a claim against the accountants."
(PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Stable Value Funds: Performance to Date
Excerpt: "This paper rigorously examines their performance throughout the entire period since their inception in 1973. We produce a composite index of stable value returns. We conduct mean-variance analysis, Sharpe and Sortino ratio analysis, stochastic dominance analysis, and optimal multi-period portfolio composition analysis."
(Social Science Research Network)

Pension Fund Losses Hit States Hard, Data Show
Excerpt: "When total state government revenues across the nation plummeted by a record-breaking 30.8 percent in 2009, the steep investment losses of pension funds proved to be an even bigger drain on state coffers than recession-battered tax collections, according to census data released Wednesday."
(The New York Times; one-time registration required)

Pension Funding Levels Rebound from 2010 Low, According to Mercer
Excerpt: "Aided by a strong rebound in the equities markets, the funded status of pension plans sponsored by large employers has rebounded from a few months ago but remains lower than a year ago, according to an analysis released Wednesday."
(Business Insurance)

Few Future Retirees Plan Annuity Purchase As Retirement Nest Egg Hedge
Excerpt: "A third of those responding to a new survey fret about outliving their retirement nest egg, but only one in five plan to buy an annuity or other guaranteed income product."
(PLANSPONSOR.COM)

[Opinion]
What is the End Game With Target-Date Funds; Retirement or Death?
Excerpt: "The term target-date retirement would seem to suggest an end game at the stated date, rather than at death. This premise holds that the TDF has done its job by getting the participant to retirement. Because the distribution decision is too complex to be solved with a 'one size fits all' approach, an individual's portfolio construction going forward after retirement from the plan sponsor should be separate from the DC plan portfolio."
(Jeb Graham via 401khelpcenter.com)

[Opinion]
Taxpayers Facing Huge Bill for Houston, Texas, Pension Debt
Excerpt: "From my study of the issue I have concluded, as have many others, that the current system is unsustainable and will result in very serious consequences for everyone involved if corrective action is not taken. There is also a profound intergenerational ethical issue at stake as well, as we have been pushing off the day of reckoning on these plans, leaving our children and grandchildren to face a staggering liability."
(The Houston Chronicle)

2011 Treasury and DOL Regulatory Agendas for Employee Benefits (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "Projects added since the previously published agendas are shown in bold [on the target page chart]; there are 22 new initiatives."
(Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP)

Strained States Turning to Laws to Curb Labor Unions
Excerpt: "State officials from both parties are wrestling with ways to curb the salaries and pensions of government employees, which typically make up a significant percentage of state budgets."
(The New York Times; one-time registration required)

2011 Benefits Boot Camp
in Georgia on April 12, 2011
presented by Worldwide Employee Benefits Network (WEB) - Atlanta Chapter

Legislative and Regulatory Update
in California on January 18, 2011
presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference, San Diego Chapter

Understanding Health FSA Reimbursements: A Seminar Based on Your Scenarios!
Nationwide on February 3, 2011
presented by EBIA / Thomson Reuters

Post your webcast or conference

Deloitte: Retirement Readiness of Employees is Top Priority for Employers
Deloitte

Nearly Half of Americans Ages 45-70 Have No Plans to Protect Themselves Against Outliving Assets or the Rising Cost of Healthcare in Later Life
Society of Actuaries

MassMutual Adds $113+ Million Taft-Hartley Retirement Plan
MassMutual Retirement Services

US Labor Department Obtains Order To Restore More Than $600,000 To Southern California Company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan
U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

Prudential Investments Launches Q Shares for Qualified Plan Investors
Prudential Financial, Inc.

CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc. Hosts 2010 Executive Roundtable
CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc.

U.S. Businesses Spend More on Wellness Programs, But Most Don't Measure Results
Buck Consultants

Benefit Express Delivers Dependent Audits as Part of Annual Enrollment Processing - Saving Clients Time and Money
Benefit Express

BPAS Sees Surge in New Partnerships
BPAS

Compensation Resources, Inc. Releases Its 2010 Survey of Severance and Employee Turnover
Compensation Resources, Inc. (CRI)

Financial Soundings Adds Regional Benefits Consultant
Financial Soundings

Post your press release

Pension Administrators
for Northern NJ Mid-Size Pension Consulting Firm
in NJ

Pension Analyst/Actuarial Student
for Hooker & Holcombe, Inc.
in CT

Client Service Manager
for New York Life - Retirement Plan Services
in MA

Pension Administrator
for Alliance Pension Consultants
in IL

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