"The final amendment to the VFCP will establish the [self correction component (SCC)] to permit employers the ability to self-correct late deposit operational failures by electronically filing an SCC Notice to [EBSA] using a new VFCP online tool.... [T]here is no limit to how many times an employer may use the SCC process, but EBSA retains the right to investigate and take other actions with respect to transactions corrected through the SCC."  MORE >>

"The Court held that the Plan did not hold a beneficial ownership interest in the foreign tax credits because they were not owned by the Plan or held in trust for the benefit of the Plan, nor could the Plan, as a tax-exempt entity, otherwise use or benefit from the foreign tax credits." [Romano v. John Hancock Life Ins. Co. (USA), No. 22-12366 (11th Cir. Oct. 30, 2024)]  MORE >>

"Vesting schedules -- often used to enhance greater employee retention -- actually do little to nothing to achieve that goal, says recent research by Vanguard.... Vanguard examined if workers were more likely to leave their jobs one month after their vesting date compared to one month before. If vesting works as a retention tool, there ought to be a gap such that workers are less likely to leave immediately before their vest date. Vanguard found that this was not the case."  MORE >>

"[R]egulators have not established hard rules on when plan investment offerings need to be replaced.... [F]ulfilling the duty of prudence requires focusing on the process used to select, retain and replace plan investments.... A plan fiduciary with a deficient process for evaluating investments might, simply by luck, achieve favorable investment performance, while a rigorous and disciplined process might not produce favorable investment results."  MORE >>

"The big three headaches: rules, rainmaking, and robots ... What you're hungry to learn: efficiency meets authority ... Time-savers that don't skimp: AI and checklists to the rescue ... Revenue rocket fuel: referrals rule the roost ... How you like your wisdom: deep dives vs. quick hits ... ERISA wish lists: from fees to funds ... White paper dreams: who's writing your playbook? ... The fiduciary twist: AI's knock or DOL's lock?"   MORE >>

"Bipartisan legislation to change securities laws so 403(b) plans can offer collective investment trusts (CITs) has been reintroduced in the House and Senate. The Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act of 2025 (HR 1013/S 424) is similar to bipartisan legislation passed by the House and introduced in the Senate in 2024. Supporters hope the changes will be folded into a larger legislative package that might see action this year."  MORE >>

"Corporate pension funded status increased in Q4 2024 by 2.1%. Bonds experienced negative returns as interest rates increased ... Discount rates therefore also increased, causing liabilities to decrease.... US equities were up modestly ... The net result was an increase in funded status over the quarter for the 60/40 portfolio."  MORE >>

"Recently ... the share of households contributing to an IRA has ticked up – a little bit for low-income workers and a lot for those under 40. The rise in low-income contributors could well be due to state auto-IRA initiatives, which have broadened access to workplace-based plans. The surge in younger contributors is most likely due to new fintech platforms that promote IRAs to tech-savvy Millennials. But these younger contributors tend to have a 401(k) too, so IRAs remain mainly a way for those with a plan to gain more tax-advantaged saving."  MORE >>

"Auto portability ... could be readily adapted to handle the routing of Saver's Match contributions.... By leveraging auto portability's technology, plan sponsors and recordkeepers could streamline the process of receiving and accepting Saver's Match contributions.... The combination of auto portability technology and the Saver's Match could significantly boost participant engagement."  MORE >>

[1] 9th Circuit weighs removing California's nuisance fight with PBMs; [2] 9th Circuit tackles "Jersey Boys" withdrawal liability fight; [3] Northeast Grocery Inc. workers want 2nd Circuit to revive 401(k) excessive fee lawsuit; [4] J&J asks 3rd Circuit to disband talcum powder class; and [5] IBM retirees ask 2nd Circuit to revive pension actuarial equivalence fight.  MORE >>

"[1] Performance-based short-term incentives ... [2] Performance-based equity refresh grants ... [3] Equity reissuance ... [4] Merit increases ... No matter the strategy, agility is key."  MORE >>