Mar. 5, 2025. "What's New: The form and the instructions have been updated to include additional information regarding Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)."  MORE >>

"Any relief afforded by a self-correction is limited to the specific breaches permitted to be self-corrected. If any terms of the self-correction component are not satisfied, EBSA reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate action. Also, participation in the self-correction component will not preclude EBSA from taking criminal action if appropriate"  MORE >>

"Do the service providers for your retirement plan have formal policies on the storage and protection of personal information disclosed by plan participants such as Social Security numbers, home addresses and financial information? Do plan participants and your employees in general understand the basics of protecting data on their own laptops and cell phones as well as those provided for business purposes?"  MORE >>

16 pages. "[This] Blueprint offers Members of Congress and the White House bipartisan and common-sense policies to help workers and retirees strengthen their financial security and sustain their income to last throughout retirement.... [1] Maintain and augment the current tax treatment of retirement savings ... [2] Expand opportunities to save for retirement ... [3] Facilitate the greater use of protected, guaranteed lifetime income solutions ... [4] Foster innovation, modernization, education, and advice."  MORE >>

56 detailed slides. "Updated annually, the Guide to Retirement provides an effective framework for supporting your retirement planning conversations with clients. It includes charts and graphs to help you explain complex topics in a clear and concise manner. A description and audio commentary are available for every slide."  MORE >>

"Vanguard found that, driven primarily by positive market performance, account balance averages increased by 10% in 2024, and 45% of participants increased their deferral rate -- either on their own or as part of an automatic annual increase -- an all-time high since Vanguard started tracking this metric in 2019.... [H]ardship withdrawal activity increased in 2024, with 4.8% of participants initiating a hardship withdrawal, up from 3.6% in 2023."  MORE >>

"The aggregate funded ratio for U.S. corporate pension plans is estimated to have decreased by 1.1 percentage points in February, ending the month at 104.0% ... The aggregate funded ratio is estimated to have increased by 0.4% and 4.8% year to date and over the trailing twelve months, respectively."  MORE >>

"By the end of January, the recordkeeper should be provided with the annual census that they will use to run certain testing. The plan auditor will also need a copy of the census, and it is a good practice to send them the census at the same time it is provided to the recordkeeper. Once a plan sponsor receives the nondiscrimination testing results from the recordkeeper, action may be needed. It is important to respond promptly to any action required and keep the plan's auditors in the loop regarding any action taken."  MORE >>

"While most TPAs keep copies of documents they prepared, they do not always ... keep copies of signed versions, or older documents, or documents prepared by a prior TPA.... If the IRS or DOL comes in and initiates an audit/examination, [they] can ask to see documents all the way back to the beginning of the plan.... Benefit claims, including law suits, can come up years later, and the terms of the plan as provided in the plan document in effect at the time of the claim will govern[]"  MORE >>

"Is your SPD written clearly enough to help your workforce understand the plan? Did you remove technical jargon that might be difficult to understand? Did you break long, complex sentences into shorter, more manageable ones? Did you provide plenty of examples to explain difficult topics?"  MORE >>

"[W]omen are more likely to worry about having enough money to save for retirement, being able to save for an emergency fund, paying for long-term care expenses, and being able to support themselves if they become unable to work due to a disabling illness or injury.... Sixty-three percent of women agree that workplace benefits are integral to their overall financial wellness, and nearly 7 in 10 women say their employer should provide benefits that address their financial stress."  MORE >>