statistics counter
To BenefitsLink home page

BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter

View all employee benefits jobs on EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com
May 26, 2011 Get Health & Welfare News  |  Advertise  |  Unsubscribe  |  Past Issues  |  Search

[Guidance Overview]
Nuns, Archdiocese of Boston Settle Lawsuit Over Pension Plan
"The Daughters . . . sued late last year to force the archdiocese to hand over the investments the Daughters had made in the archdiocese's pension plan on behalf of the order's lay employees." (The Boston Globe)


Join NIPA for a Webcast [Advert.]

Sponsored by NIPA (National Institute of Pension Administrators)

Earn continuing education credits from the comfort of your workstation. Preview NIPA’s upcoming Webcast schedule to hear the latest information on all aspects of the retirement plan industry.


[Guidance Overview]
Fiduciaries Were Required to Document Their Prudence in Retaining Unitized Stock Fund
"Plan fiduciaries may have breached their fiduciary duties by failing to deliberate and make a documented reasonable decision regarding means of reducing investment and transactional costs associated with a unitized company stock fund, according to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago (CA-7) in George v. Kraft Foods Global, Inc.." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)

[Guidance Overview]
Court Dismisses Suit Alleging Excessive Fees Charged by John Hancock
"[The judge] agreed with John Hancock's argument that plaintiffs' [ERISA] claims are derivative, meaning they belong to the plans, so the plaintiffs must first make demand upon the trustees of the plan to file suit. The court found no such demand was made, nor are the trustees listed as defendants in the action." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

[Guidance Overview]
Supreme Court's Decision in CIGNA v. Amara Helps Employers (PDF)
"This article will address the Supreme Court's ruling in CIGNA and discuss its significance for employers sponsoring ERISA plans. As set forth below, CIGNA is largely, although by no means entirely, favorable to employers." (The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. via McDermott Will & Emery)

Does Market Valuation of Pension Liabilities Fit the Public Sector? (PDF)
"This . . . Public Sector Letter discusses the fundamental differences between two methods for measuring pension liabilities: actuarial accrued liability (AAL), the current practice, and the market value of liabilities (MVL) approach, which continues to be the focus of considerable media attention. In particular, the usefulness of both measures for public sector decision makers is addressed." (The Segal Group, Inc.)


What's Next in Employment Agreements: Free Webinar [Advert.]

Sponsored by Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP

Wednesday, June 8, 1-2 pm ET: It pays to be prepared when it comes to executive employment agreements. Join Sutherland attorneys to discuss emerging issues, including clawbacks and evergreen agreements. Register now.   [Attorney Advertising]


2011 Outlook: Retirement Plan Legislation and Regulations, Updated March 31, 2011 (PDF)
An overview from T. Rowe Price of the expected legislative and regulatory activity for 2011. (T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. via MJM401k)

Evolving Role of TPAs in the Small- and Mid-Sized Retirement Plan Markets
"Cerulli Associates has just released a report . . . that provides analysis of third-party administrators (TPAs) in the defined contribution . . . marketplace that are focused on the small- to mid-sized plan segments ($1 mil.lion to $50 mil.lion in assets)." (401khelpcenter.com)

Retirement Plan Sponsors Struggle with Annuity Issue
"One solution involves having the retiree buy some kind of annuity, but some plan sponsors fear that could create a legal liability for them. While they have held off, other sponsors have moved ahead, offering annuities that employees can invest in gradually as they build their 401(k) nest eggs." (MarketWatch, Inc.)

Workers Would Face Tough Pension Choices Under Illinois Plan
"The plan . . . would require many state employees to pay nearly 17 percent of their salaries into the pension system to keep their current benefits. Or they could keep more of their money but receive lower benefits at retirement. A third option would be a new 401(k)-style investment plan." (Chicago Tribune)

Buffalo Bills Halt 401(k) Plan Contributions During NFL Lockout
"Chief executive officer Russ Brandon said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that the Bills 'will decide at a later date whether to reinstate them for 2011 based on our financial performance.'" (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Fiduciary Duty and How It Impacts Your Retirement
"This term can change the course of your retirement and influences the decisions you make for retirement greatly. It's that important." (Retirement Online LLC)

Western States Pension Assistance Project Helps Pin Down Retirement Benefits
"[The federally funded program] helps individuals — of any age or income — locate lost retirement plans, confirm benefit calculations and answer questions about pensions, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans." (The Sacramento Bee)

San Francisco Mayor Touts Pension Plan Savings
"Over the next decade, [the mayor's] proposal would save $800 mil.lion–$1 bil.lion, but the city's pension costs could total as much as $7.6 bil.lion during that span . . . ." (San Francisco Chronicle)

[Opinion]
Is Investing for Income Only Option 401k Plan Sponsors can Offer Employees Seeking to Meet Certain Financial Objectives?
"A pure bond (or 'fixed income') portfolio exposes the investor to the risk of failing to achieve the investment objective; hence, a higher potential for investor failing to obtain life goals as a direct result of not being able to pay for current expenses." (Fiduciary News)

[Opinion]
San Diego's Pension Gap: Some Common Misunderstandings
"Yes, funding the existing pension deficit will be challenging. But it's important to understand that traditional pensions now are no more costly than the proposed Social Security/401(k) program being proposed." (The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC)

Benefits in General; Executive Compensation

More Employers Embrace Voluntary Benefits
"A LIMRA study found that overall voluntary benefits penetration improved across the board during the recession, but growth was brighter with mid-size employers (firms with 100–999 employees)." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

[Opinion]
America Can Learn from Europe on Work-Life Balance
"[A]lthough many European countries have seen increases in their working hours . . . employees are typically given between four and six weeks' paid vacation time by their employer. So what drives Americans to work such long hours and take few, if any, vacations?" (Cable News Network)

Press Releases


Employee Benefits Jobs

Associate Attorney
for Crowley Fleck PLLP in CO, ID, MN, MT, ND, SD, WY

TPA Services Consultant
for John Hancock Financial Services in MA

Managing Director - Client Services
for Charles Schwab in OH

Post Your Job on EmployeeBenefitsJobs.com

View All Jobs

RSS feed for jobs RSS Feed: All Jobs


Webcasts and Conferences

"Form 5500 for 403(b) Plans 2011" - A Two-part Web Seminar
Nationwide on June 14, 2011 presented by SunGard Relius

"Form 5500 for Welfare Plans 2011" - A two-part Web Seminar
Nationwide on June 21, 2011 presented by SunGard Relius

"Form 5500-EZ: Soup to Nuts" Web Seminar
Nationwide on June 16, 2011 presented by SunGard Relius

"Form 5500-SF: Short and Sweet Filing" Web Seminar
Nationwide on June 9, 2011 presented by SunGard Relius

"Prototype Plan Perils and Possibilities" Web Seminar
Nationwide on May 31, 2011 presented by SunGard Relius

401(k)Rekon Advisor Symposium-Baltimore
in Maryland on June 23, 2011 presented by 401(k) Rekon

Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program Workshop
in Pennsylvania on June 22, 2011 presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)

Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program Workshop
in Maryland on June 24, 2011 presented by U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)


Subscribe to the free BenefitsLink Health & Welfare Plans Newsletter, Too!


This email has been published by:
BenefitsLink.com, Inc.
1298 Minnesota Avenue, Suite H
Winter Park FL 32789
(407) 644-4146
Fax: (407) 644-2151

Jeanette Hull, News Editor
David Rhett Baker, J.D., Editor and Publisher
dbaker@benefitslink.com

Copyright 2011 BenefitsLink.com, Inc., but feel free to forward this newsletter in its entirety.

Useful links: