ASPPA

Senior Compensation Manager
for Capital Group Companies in CA

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Best Hiring Practices in Employee Owned Companies
Nationwide on March 8, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

Business Literacy
Nationwide on April 3, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

Communicating Equity Compensation
Nationwide on May 30, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

Emerging Best Practices for Boards of ESOP Companies
Nationwide on March 15, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

Equity Compensation Trends
Nationwide on March 28, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

ESOPs as a Business Transition Tool
Nationwide on April 10, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

Incentive Plans that Support Employee Ownership
Nationwide on March 6, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

Running an Effective Board
Nationwide on May 2, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

S Corporation ESOPs - Administrative Issues
Nationwide on March 20, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

S Corporation ESOPs - Legal Issues
Nationwide on March 13, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

S Corporation ESOPs - Valuation Issues
Nationwide on March 27, 2012 presented by National Center for Employee Ownership

CFDD

IRS Announcements Provide Desired Extension and Significant Changes to Determination Letter Program
"Many practitioners have recommended to their clients that they always obtain a determination letter. That will no longer be possible for prototypes. Does this mean that employers will be switched to volume submitter plans and minor language changes made for the sole purpose of getting a letter? What impact will this have on examinations?" (McKay Hochman Co., Inc.)

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Judge Halts Pension Plan Switch for Nursing Home Employees
"The union representing [the workers] charges that under long-standing state law, County Council needed to negotiate the pension changes with the employees . . . . Instead, . . . union leaders who are negotiating a new contract with the county learned of the plan to change pension benefits via media reports." (PLANSPONSOR.COM)

Are Federal Buyout Incentives Worth Taking?
"For workers who are not planning an imminent retirement already and for those enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System — which is the bulk of the government workforce — taking a buyout can mean losing more money over time." (Government Executive)

First Generation of Highly Paid Professional Women about to Enter Retirement
"Among full-time, full-year workers, a higher percentage of women than men have participated in employer-sponsored retirement plans since 2001, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute. In 2010, it was 55.5 percent for women and 53.8 percent for men." (Bloomberg L.P.)

Will the New Year Bring a New Rule from the SEC That Puts Brokers Under a Fiduciary Mandate?
"The SEC has been receiving pressure from Congress and broker-dealer trade groups since Dodd-Frank was written into law about how the agency should write an expanded fiduciary standard." (Investment Advisor via AdvisorOne)

Private Sector Defined Benefit Plans Vanishing
"[T]he extent to which this shift has occurred in the last several years is stunning. According to Towers Watson, only 13 of this year's Fortune 100 companies offered new employees a traditional defined benefit plan in 2011, compared to 58 in 2000." (Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

Retirees Accept Pension Cuts in Rhode Island Town's Bankrup.tcy
"In a landmark agreement, retired police and firefighters in Central Falls, Rhode Island, have accepted pension cuts as part of the town's historic bankrup.tcy filing. If the bankrup.tcy trustee accepts the proposed deal, Central Falls' public employees would represent the first workers to ever accept pension cuts during a municipal bankrup.tcy, according to a recent report from the New York Times." (TotalBankruptcy, LLC)

Consequences of Tax Reform Proposals Relating to 401k Plan Contributions (PDF)
"From time to time, proposals are made to reform the retirement system that involve reducing allowable contributions to 401k and similar types of plans." (planadviser via Wagner Law Group)

Implications from the 2011 Towers Watson U.S. Retirement Plan Governance Survey (PDF)
"[T]he Towers Watson 2011 survey on qualified retirement plan governance finds that the process of decision making and oversight varies widely. While most employers are concerned with compliance, many are not taking all the steps available to manage the financial, organizational and other risks created by ineffective plan governance." (Towers Watson)

Reasons To Boost Your 401(k) Contributions
"[T]he prospect of higher taxes and the fact that more traditional retirement savings vehicles are going away completely or [are] about to experience severe stress given the coming rapid rise in retirees, the 401(k) could end up making or breaking your retirement. The prospect for higher market returns going forward is another key consideration." (Investopedia US via Hearst Communications Inc.)

Three of Four Retirement Plans Don't Review Compliance Regularly, According to Survey
"Only 26% of defined contribution and defined benefit plan executives conduct regular operational and regulatory compliance reviews, according to a Towers Watson & Co. survey on retirement plan governance issues." (Business Insurance)

The New Year Is a Good Time to Review and Adjust Your Retirement Plan
"If you're aiming to improve your finances in the new year, try to incorporate a few of these tips into your retirement plan. Here are 12 ways to get better prepared for retirement in 2012." (Microsoft)

Oregon Public Employees Retirement System Allowed to Recoup $156 Mil.lion in Overpayments
"The court stood by its earlier decision in the Robinson case, which upheld PERS' right to recoup an estimated $156 mil.lion in overpayments from 28,042 people who retired from public service between April 2000 and April 2004. In a second opinion released Friday, the court also ruled that PERS did not violate its members' rights by entering into the settlement agreement that resulted in the move to recoup the overpayments." (www.statesmanjournal.com)

Strategies to Get Nonnative Speakers into Retirement Plans
"Changes in plan design — primarily automatic enrollment — are the main drivers of the increased participation along with improved, culturally sensitive communications, experts say . . . ." (Business Insurance)

Retirement Plan Brokers Outsource Fiduciary Duties
"The solution involves outsourcing fiduciary functions, and several investment advisory firms — chief among them Morningstar Investment Management, Wilshire Associates Inc. and the advisory arm of Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. — now are providing investment menu design, fund selection, market commentary and other services to small-plan sponsors and the broker-dealers and insurers who sell such plans." (Investment News; free registration required)

Disclosures to Plan Participants a Big Change to the ERISA Regs for 401k Plans
"In our opinion this single aspect of the new regulations is going to be a game changer for the 401k industry. A combination of complex, often hidden fees offered by plan providers and a blind eye to fiduciary responsibility by plan sponsors will change dramatically, as plan sponsors and employees go from uninformed about plan fees and services to transparency." (Investment Insight Wealth Management, LLC)

DOL Regs Require 401(k) Plan Providers to Spell Out Some of the Fees Workers Pay in 2012
"Many investors don't realize that more than a half a dozen fees may be charged against their 401(k) account for recordkeeping, administration, investment advisory, brokerage and management services. In addition, at least eight kinds of indirect fees and expenses could be charged. These are often shaved off the top of the account's investment returns." (USA TODAY)

Estimating Social Security Benefits
"In a cost-saving move, Social Security has suspended the annual mailing of personal benefit estimates, which traditionally arrived a few months before each covered worker's birthday. To estimate future benefits, workers below retirement age now must rely on online calculators, such as the worksheet available at www.ssa.gov/estimator[.]" (BenefitsPro)

The Floor-Leverage Rule for Retirement
"Financial planners assume that retirees have a strong preference for consistent, predictable spending. Their widely used rule of thumb, the 4% rule, was developed to identify the maximum spending level that could be maintained throughout retirement. In stark contrast, the standard advice from financial economist may result in large fluctuations in spending." (Social Science Research Network)

Senior Activity Rate, Retirement Incentives, and Labor Relations
"In order to face the aging of their populations governments of developed countries reformed their retirement systems during the last two decades, by discouraging early retirement and increasing incentives to work for older workers. Senior participation rates to the labor force not only differ strikingly in level from one country to another, they also differ in their reaction to retirement incentives set by governments." (Social Science Research Network)

ASPPA Letter on IRS Form 8955-SSA Participant Notice Requirement
"On December 20, 2011, ASPPA submitted comments to the Internal Revenue Service requesting clarification of the notice requirement with respect to separated participants who are listed on IRS Form 8955-SSA and its predecessor, Schedule SSA to Form 5500." (American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries)

Looking Forward to an Action Packed and Exciting Year for the Retirement Plan Practitioner
"This article presents an overview of some of the changes that we may see in retirement plans in 2012 and some changes that have been announced already." (McKay Hochman Co., Inc.)

Voluntary Benefits Emerge As Bigger Player in Future Benefit Programs
"[The target page provides] a summary of key trends, along with charts and data to help employers plan their voluntary benefits strategy going forward." (Employee Benefit News)

Employee Ownership Update for January 2, 2012
NCEO Executive Director Loren Rodgers discusses Berkshire Hathaway's purchase of an employee-owned newspaper, stock options in India, a new ESPP reference, the NCEO's executive compensation survey, spreading the word on employee ownership, and NCEO board elections. (National Center for Employee Ownership)

Employee Benefit Plan Regs Face Pivotal New Year
"2012 will be action-packed on the regulatory front for employee benefit plans, but experts say the year is expected to include little, if any, benefit activity on the congressional front." (Business Insurance)

Six Workplace Perks That Can Do More Harm Than Good
"The problem with most perks is that they may be intended as rewards, but all they really do is create artificial distinctions based on arbitrary and often self-serving criteria. That's why dropping most perks ' either yours or those extended to certain others ' is a great way to eliminate real or perceived barriers between you and your employees." (Mansueto Ventures LLC)

NBCH Selects Four Coalitions for Adult Immunization Seed Grants
(National Business Coalition on Health)

Mercer Completes Acquisition of Alicia Smith & Associates, a Nationally-known Medicaid Policy Firm
(Mercer)

Census Bureau: Transition of American FactFinder
(U.S. Census Bureau)

Jeff Adair, Promoted to Managing Director, Tegrit Group (Tegrit Technologies)
(Tegrit)

"Tomorrow America Will Be a More Family Friendly Nation" as First Statewide Paid Sick Days Law Takes Effect in Connecticut, Ness Says
(National Partnership for Women & Families)