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November 2, 2011 Get Retirement News  |  Advertise  |  Unsubscribe  |  Past Issues  |  Search

Employee Benefits Jobs

Director, Negotiated Benefits Department
for United Food & Commercial Workers International Union in DC

Defined Contribution Plan Administrator
for TPA in Colorado in CO

Fiduciary ERISA Attorney
for The Angell Pension Group, Inc. in CT, MA, RI

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Webcasts and Conferences

401(k) Rekon Advisor Symposium- Bridgewater
in New Jersey on December 1, 2011 presented by 401(k) Rekon

401(k) Rekon Advisor Symposium- Tampa
in Florida on December 1, 2011 presented by 401(k) Rekon

Employee Benefits Half Day Conference
in Illinois on December 7, 2011 presented by Illinois CPA Society

No Joke: Fee Disclosure is Finally Here!
in California on November 15, 2011 presented by Western Pension & Benefits Conference - San Diego Chapter

Retirement Heist: Overlooked Causes of the Retirement Crisis Discussion
in District of Columbia on November 7, 2011 presented by New America Foundation

Webcast: DB Plan Restatements
Nationwide on November 29, 2011 presented by National Institute of Pension Administrators


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[Guidance Overview]
Paid Sick Leave Mandated for Many Employers in Philadelphia
"The [new sick leave ordinance] applies to the following group of employers: (1) The City of Philadelphia, including all its agencies, departments, and offices; (2) For-profit Service Contractors . . . ." (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP)


DATAIR! 5500 Filing for Welfare, Flex & Pension Plans   [Advert.]

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Includes customized web-based employer access.
(888) 328-2474 Sales@DATAIR.com www.DATAIR.com


[Guidance Overview]
Health Care Reform and W-2 Reporting: IRS Provides Details
"The IRS emphasizes that what must be reported includes both employer and employee contributions, including for example, employer and employee portions of major medical insurance premiums." (Ceridian Corporation)

[Guidance Overview]
IRS's New Guidance on ACOs for Tax-Exempt Organizations
"This [IRS] Fact Sheet confirms the IRS' current attitude towards participation in new CMS programs: if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us, as long as you meet all the usual requirements for tax-exempt entities as well." (SNR Denton)

[Guidance Overview]
IRS's 2012 Versions of Forms for Trustee Reporting of HSA Contributions and Distributions
"Remember that trustees and custodians should not use these 2012 forms until 2013, when reporting for the 2012 tax year is due." (Thomson Reuters/EBIA)

ERIC Urges Simplified Process for Determining Health Exchange Eligibility
"[ERIC] submitted a comment letter on a proposed regulation under [ACA] to implement provisions relating to how the exchanges interact with employers to determine whether an individual is eligible to purchase subsidized health coverage through an exchange." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Employers Find Value in Offering Tuition Assistance Programs
"More than 96% of the respondents reported that the education they received through their tuition assistance programs was valuable and a good use of their organizations' resources." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Proposed San Francisco Health Care Reform Adds Complexity for Employers
"[Current] vetoed and competing legislation fail to take into account federal health care and tax laws, undermining San Francisco employers' ability to implement long-term solutions to their employees' health needs." (Nixon Peabody LLP)

Wisconsin's Perspective on Health Benefit Exchange Implementation (PDF)
The document includes charts, timelines, and recommendations. (Wisconsin Department of Health Services via Citizens' Council for Health Freedom)

Keeping Your Workforce Healthy during the 2011-2012 Flu Season (PDF)
"The workplace is one place where everyone can help stop the spread of the flu. The actions you take 'locally' can help limit the impact of the illness on the economy and society as a whole." (Buck Consultants, LLC)

Supreme Court Health Law Ruling Could Be Pivotal Political Issue
"If the Supreme Court next year gets rid of the health reform law's requirement to buy insurance, Republicans could gain momentum to get rid of the rest of the law . . . . But Democrats and supporters of the law also see a silver lining: If the least popular part of the law goes away, they think what's left could become stronger and more popular with the public." (POLITICO LLC)

Disability Insurance Plan Claims: Red Tape and Paperwork Major Hurdles
"It's important to understand that disability insurers do approve the majority of claims they receive, says Whit Cornman, a spokesperson for the American Council of Life Insurers. 'A 2010 industry study, conducted by Gen Re and representing the majority of group disability carriers, indicated that 75.9% of submitted long-term disability claims were approved,' he says." (NYDailyNews.com.)

Health Insurance Market Financial and Enrollment Data Available
"This paper [focuses] on key premium, claim cost, and administrative statistics within each insurance market and discusses observed differences among them." (Milliman, Inc.)

Benefits in General; Executive Compensation

[Guidance Overview]
Executive Remuneration Perspective: Global Perspective on Say on Pay
"With say-on-pay requirements now applicable to most US public companies, this Perspective includes a look at shareholder vote results in the US and elsewhere, and how say-on-pay laws differ across jurisdictions. It also provides explicit recommendations to improve chances of favorable say-on-pay outcomes." (Mercer LLC)

[Guidance Overview]
Employee Benefits Developments, October 2011
Various rulings, opinions, and cases are summarized. (Hodgson Russ LLP)

Delaware Court Rebuffs Shareholder Challenge to Revenue-Based Bonus Plan
"This ruling may have implications for the outcome of say-on-pay litigation." (Mercer LLC)

Compensation Costs for State and Local Government Workers, September 2011
"For the 12-month period ending in September 2011, benefit costs increased 2.5 percent, down from a 2.8-percent increase for the 12-month period ending in September 2010." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Employee Ownership Update for November 1, 2011
NCEO Executive Director Loren Rodgers discusses the NCEO's new survey of equity compensation in private companies, Mitt Romney and ESOPs, new research on ESOP trends, and more. (National Center for Employee Ownership)

Press Releases

East Los Angeles Community Hospital Executives Ordered to Repay $600,000 to Employee Retirement plan, Following US Labor Department Investigation
(U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA))

The Principal Unveils Small Plan Market Tool Kit
(Principal Financial Group)

HighRoads Comments on Federal Summary of Benefits and Coverage and Uniform Glossary Notice Draft Regulations
(HighRoads, Inc.)

Fiduciary Benchmarks Announces Plan Design Optimizer
(Fiduciary Benchmarks, Inc.)

Reed Group’s LeavePro™ Software Now Available Direct to Employers
(Reed Group)

WellNet Reaches 100 Percent Client Enrollment in Cloud Technology
(WellNet)

HealthPartners Offering First-of-its-kind Insurance Plan for Families
(HealthPartners)

Retirement Desk Launches Fee Benchmarking Services
(Retirement Desk)



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Jeanette Hull, News Editor
David Rhett Baker, J.D., Editor and Publisher
Lois Baker, J.D., President
Holly Horton, Business Manager

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