13 pages. "This notice provides guidance on whether a series of payments from an individual account under a qualified retirement plan is considered a series of substantially equal periodic payments within the meaning of section 72(t)(2)(A)(iv) of the Internal Revenue Code. This guidance also applies for purposes of determining whether a distribution from a non-qualified annuity contract is part of a series of substantially equal periodic payments within the meaning of section 72(q)(2)(D). This notice modifies and supersedes Rev. Rul. 2002-62 ... and Notice 2004-15[.]"  MORE >>

"Section 80602 of the [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)] extends the interest rate smoothing provisions that affect the minimum funding requirements for most defined benefit pension plans.... Section 80501 of the IIJA expands and streamlines the automatic 60-day extensions of many pension-related IRS deadlines for 'federally declared disasters'."  MORE >>

"This article challenges the status quo of target date funds, contending that they can and should be much safer than current common practices. There are three interrelated topics: [1] A recommended new standard that protects beneficiaries ... [2] The risk zone and sequence of return risk ... [3] Imminent stock and bond market crashes could be doozies."  MORE >>

"A proposal called the Securing A Strong Retirement Act of 2021 has received bipartisan support. It would ... [1] Enroll more workers in retirement accounts automatically.... [2] Raise the catch-up contribution limit.... [3] Index the annual catch-up contribution limit to inflation for all workers ... [4] Provide extra help for workers with student loans.... [5] Change the age when RMDs begin.... [6] Reduce the penalty for not taking RMDs."  MORE >>

"At the outset of the pandemic recession, many feared it would undermine workers' employer-sponsored retirement plans. State and local employees who are not covered by Social Security would have been particularly vulnerable ... Their employer defined benefit plans would have been hurt by a long recession with poor investment returns and reduced contributions due to tax shortfalls. Instead, ... plan funded ratios actually improved. And long-term structural headwinds such as negative cash flows and aggressive return targets still pose little risk to their ability to pay future benefits."  MORE >>

"Most jobs in the United States are covered by Social Security. Recent estimates by the Social Security Administration (SSA) show that about 176 million people were expected to work in covered employment in 2021 and that about 94% of workers in paid employment and self-employment are covered under the program. This In Focus discusses Social Security coverage and the major exceptions to mandatory participation in the program." [IF11824 Jan. 18, 2022]  MORE >>

"No responding readers said they generally believe employees should have their day-to-day financial lives in order before they save for retirement. The vast majority (97%) generally believe employees can manage their day-to-day financial issues and save for retirement at the same time, and 3% indicated they are unsure."  MORE >>

"For most individual investors, a solid diversification strategy means holding different types of stock funds, bond funds and cash ... [Y]ou'll likely need a lot more stocks than you think for proper diversification; however, many workplace retirement plans offer limited options. Here's what you need to know to create a solid diversification strategy."  MORE >>