"The Red State coalition asked the court to reconsider its earlier decision to affirm the rule after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine in the case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo in June.... [The judge wrote] that 'Plaintiffs would have this Court vacate the 2022 rule to 'restore the protections of the 2020 rules.' ... However, the 2020 Rule has a tiebreaker provision that would also violate Plaintiffs' interpretation of ERISA. But ERISA's text does not invalidate the tiebreaker provision of the 2020 Rule or the 2022 Rule.' " [Utah v. Micone, No. 23-0016 (N.D. tex. Feb. 14, 2025]  MORE >>

"Addressing the unique retirement planning needs of part-time employees requires understanding their distinct challenges and fostering a sense of inclusivity alongside their full-time counterparts. By carefully considering onboarding, education, communication efforts and plan design with respect to part-time workers' needs, sponsors can create a more cohesive workforce and strengthen a culture of inclusivity in the workplace."  MORE >>

"Rising 401(k) balances can lead to financial overconfidence for some participants, tempting them to view their retirement account as a quick fix during economic challenges instead of exploring alternative strategies for managing emergency cash flow. Here are ways employers can help."  MORE >>

"[G]iven that the reduction can amount to hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month, having a reliable estimate of the impact of WEP and GPO's repeal can help advisors proactively plan for the impact the new law will have on their clients' retirement strategies. While there's still uncertainty about the actual timing of the law's implementation, advisors can still add value today by helping clients understand how the repeal will shape their financial future!"  MORE >>

"Surging pension funding status this past month signals an opportunity for frozen Pension Plan Sponsors to seize de-risking advantages. Both the duration 7 and duration 15 annuity purchase interest rates have remained fairly stable this past month, recording a 5 basis points increase for both durations. As PBGC costs increased again in 2025, implementing a retiree-carve-out, particularly for retirees with small benefits, can be a highly effective strategy for reducing PBGC premiums, resulting in substantial long-term cost savings."  MORE >>

"The reach of automatic enrollment through the Hawaii Retirement Savings Program is a few steps closer to expanding. Legislation that would accomplish that has received a nod from several committees."  MORE >>

"This study aimed to estimate the net effects of pandemic-induced excess deaths on OASDI liabilities, utilizing dynamic microsimulation models, and examined how these effects vary across different socioeconomic and racial-ethnic groups.... The pandemic resulted in approximately 1.7 million excess deaths among individuals aged 25 and older between 2020 and 2023. These premature deaths reduced future retirement payments, which increased the Social Security fund by $294 billion. However, this gain was offset by reductions in future payroll tax flows ($58 billion) and increased payments to surviving spouses and children ($32 billion), resulting in a net impact of $205 billion."  MORE >>

"[E]ven if system changes satisfy the requirements for 'sustainable solvency', would this fix the system for any specific period of time (i.e., 75 years or longer)? Once again, the answer unfortunately is also no because the sustainable solvency metric is also a snapshot metric ... whose accuracy is dependent on the accuracy of the next 75 years of Trustees assumptions. Without enactment of some type of algorithm (guardrails) to maintain a 100% Funded Status over time, there will be no true fix for the system."  MORE >>

"San Diego's fiscal conundrum was largely addressed by a voter-approved pension reform that was later undone by public worker unions through the courts.... This reversal carries significant financial consequences for taxpayers and the city's budget. Incorporating affected employees into the legacy pension system is expected to cost San Diego $142 million, most of which became debt, and raised the city's required yearly pension contributions for 2025 by $48 million."  MORE >>

"Prior to the end of the Biden administration, a number of proposed and final regulations were issued that impact retirement and welfare benefit plans. The final regulations are effective in 2025, and the proposed regulations, if finalized, would be effective in 2026.... [1] New relief on ACA employer mandate penalties.... [2] IRS anticipates a delay in applicability date for future SECURE 2.0 required minimum distribution regulations.... [3] IRS proposes regulations on SECURE 2.0 Act catch-up provisions."  MORE >>