Employee Benefits Consultant
Lockton Insurance Brokers, LLC
in CA

Benefits Operations Administrator
General Board of Pension and Health Benefits
in IL

Employee Benefits Attorney
Private and Public Sector Law Firm
in WI

Account Representative - Pension
A&I Benefit Plan Administrators, Inc.
in OR

Pension Plan Administrator - Defined Benefits / Defined Contributions
Primark Benefits
in CA

Employee Benefits Attorney
Graydon Head & Ritchey, LLP
in OH

Post Your Job

View All Jobs

RSS Feed: All Jobs

Transitional Reinsurance Program: Contributing Entities and Counting Methods
July 14, 2014 WEBCAST
(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)

Executive Pay Basics: The In-House Perspective
July 16, 2014 WEBCAST
(CompensationStandards.com)

The Mature ESOP: Making Sure Everyone's an Owner
September 24, 2014 WEBCAST
(Beyster Institute)

2014 IHC FORUM West Conference
November 10, 2014 in NV
(Institute for HealthCare Consumerism)

View All Webcasts and Conferences

[Guidance Overview]

New QLACs Establish Foundation for DC Annuitization
"The true impact of the QLAC reg ... is that it establishes the foundation under tax law by which DC plans can simply annuitize.... There is more work to be done on tweaking a number of rules ... It does not solve the problem of adequate lifetime income ... It also does not address the fiduciary issues related to the purchase of annuities[.]" (Business of Benefits)  

[Advert.]

ASPPA Annual Conference on October 26-29 in Washington DC

We don't just set the bar, we're constantly raising the bar for America's Retirement. And we unleash that tenacity at every ASPPA Annual Conference.

Using Immediate Annuities to Guarantee Retirement Income
"Their sales have surged lately -- up 47% this year's first quarter over the same period last year, according to LIMRA... and are projected to grow steadily over the next few years. But immediate annuities still account for less than 10% of annuity sales overall.... [O]ther, high-fee versions of annuities are sold more aggressively.... [M]any people may not understand how immediate annuities work. The concept behind them is actually quite simple." (The Wall Street Journal; subscription may be required)  

End of Prudence Presumption Raises Employer Stock Questions
"A Callan survey of DC executives ... reported that 16% would eliminate company stock as an option this year ... One possible strategy for companies is to assign management of the employer-stock option to an independent fiduciary. In Callan's survey of DC plan executives, 19.2% said they outsourced oversight of company stock to limit potential liability." (Pensions & Investments)  

Fifth Third Bancorp v. Dudenhoeffer: A Silver Lining?
"[It] is not clear ... how a plaintiff is supposed to make a claim against an ESOP fiduciary. What type of information is the plaintiff going to have to allege the fiduciary had in its possession, that clearly showed that is was no longer prudent for the fiduciary to either hold and/or stop buying company stock?" [Fifth Third Bancorp v. Dudenhoeffer, No. 12-751 (U.S. June 25, 2014)] (Squire Patton Boggs)  

Supreme Court Voids Presumption of Prudence: A Seismic Shift for Employer Stock in ERISA-Covered DC Plans
"Plan sponsors and fiduciaries should note the following points: [1] Update plan documentation.... [2] The renewed importance of a robust fiduciary process.... [3] Addressing participant investment concentration in employer stock.... [4] Insiders." [Fifth Third Bancorp v. Dudenhoeffer, No. 12-751 (U.S. June 25, 2014)] (Kilpatrick Townsend)  

ERISA Advisory Council Investigates Outsourcing of Fiduciary Management
"The topic of fiduciary management continues to attract attention, in part because it appears to be growing as a business model in the United States, United Kingdom and elsewhere.... For those [retirement plans] that that had engaged a fiduciary manager, they cited motivations such as 'improved speed in the decision making process, greater focus on the end game, and improved expertise.'" (Pension Risk Matters)  

Gov. Brown's California Pension Reform Still Has Missing Pieces
"A bill that started out as Gov. Brown's proposal to restructure the CalPERS board emerged from the Legislature last week as a more modest change: a requirement that CalPERS board members receive 24 hours of education in pension fund operations. A 12-point pension reform proposed by Brown in October 2011 called for more 'independence and expertise' on the CalPERS board. The governor's appointees would have doubled to six, matching the number of labor representatives." (Calpensions)  

Think Twice Before Using Dynamic Systematic Withdrawal Strategies
"[I]f your goal is to spend most of your accumulated assets by the end of the expected payout period, your spending budget should increase significantly when measured as a percentage of your accumulated savings as you age.... [A]pplication of the [Jonathan] Guyton decision rules (with spending cuts adopted when the withdrawal rate for a year increases by more than 20% over the initial withdrawal rate) will likely result in unwanted spending cuts[.]" (Kenneth A. Steiner, FSA Retired)  

Regulatory Scrutiny Mounts for Investment Advisors
"While both the SEC and FINRA have indicated that their examiners will be looking closely at retirement and rollover issues when they visit firms, a new rule proposal underway at the [DOL] is perhaps causing more uncertainty in the industry. Those rules, currently set for a draft release in January, would extend fiduciary responsibilities to advisors working with plans and individuals considering how to prepare for retirement.... [T]he controversy surrounding that proposal -- lawmakers and groups representing brokers have raised pointed objections -- could ultimately derail the [DOL's] effort." (Financial Planning)  

[Opinion]

Text of Comments by American Benefits Council to DOL on Proposed Target Date Fund Disclosures (PDF)
"It seems both incomplete and inconsistent to require this disclosure just for one investment, particularly one that, by definition, includes a mix of asset classes that adjust over time.... [P]articipants typically are not comparing among multiple target date funds from different providers.... [A] comparative disclosure to other target date funds that are not available under the plan would be of little use to plan participants." (American Benefits Council)  

CFO Survey Shows Trends in Managing Financial Risks of Retirement and Benefits Programs (PDF)
"[Financial executives] show a growing awareness of, and interest in, DB plan liability transfer solutions, as well as increased interest in liability-driven investment (LDI) strategies for their DB plan portfolios.... Many ... perceive a trend toward employees extending their careers beyond historical retirement ages.... Controlling the employer's cost for company-provided healthcare benefits remains the number-one benefits priority[.]" (CFO Research, for Prudential)