"The verdict comes as courts within the Second Circuit grapple with whether plaintiffs are entitled to jury trials in fiduciary breach cases arising under [ERISA]. It's the first jury outcome in an exclusively ERISA-based case to award plaintiffs monetary damages, establishing an early model for workers and retirees suing their employers to bypass a bench trial and take their claims to citizen adjudicators." [Khan v. Bd. of Dir. of Pentegra Defined Contrib. Plan, No. 20-7561 (S.D.N.Y. complaint filed Sep. 15, 2020; jury trial completed Apr. 23, 2025)]  MORE >>

"[N]early 80% of 401(k) participants surveyed recognized the importance of investing in a Nasdaq-100 product within their retirement plan.... However, based on figures from more than 7,000 401(k) plans, allocations to Nasdaq-100 Index mutual funds make up fewer than 1% of all 401(k) assets -- a significant underrepresentation compared with the S&P 500 Index and other large-cap growth indexes[.]"  MORE >>

154 pages. Chapters: [1] Worldwide Regulated Open-End Funds; [2] U.S.-Registered Investment Companies; [3] U.S. Mutual Funds; [4] U.S. Exchange-Traded Funds; [5] U.S. Closed-End Funds; [6] U.S. Fund Expenses and Fees; [7] Characteristics of U.S. Mutual Fund Owners; [8] U.S. Retirement and Education Savings. Appendices: [A] How U.S.-Registered Investment Companies Operate; [B] Significant Events in Fund History. Also available: Data tables and Quick Facts Guide.  MORE >>

"The digital SSN feature will allow account holders to conveniently display their SSN, when needed, for reasons other than handling Social Security matters. This enhancement will provide individuals who have forgotten their SSN or misplaced their SSN cards a simple solution allowing them to securely view their SSN online through the my Social Security portal. This will reduce their need for an in-person visit and/or having to wait to receive their SSN card through the mail."  MORE >>

"If you're trying to achieve sufficient growth in your retirement plan to outpace inflation, yet you're not far from retirement and don’t want to be overly exposed to the stock market, the bucketing strategy can make sense.... We're all taught to pay off debt, but it’s not always the best financial choice. "  MORE >>

"The purpose of this post is to provide assistance to readers who aren’t necessarily interested in buying more life annuities than they need to cover their essential expenses, but would like to maximize their spending to the extent possible without leaving an unintended large estate when they pass (assuming their demise does not occur earlier than expected)."  MORE >>

"Companies around the world routinely use cost-benefit to evaluate proposed projects. However, ... the financial services industry and its agents typically do not use cost-benefit analysis in evaluating investment options. Why? Because, more often than not, cost-benefit analysis will reveal that actively managed mutual fund investments are not cost-efficient when compared to comparable passively managed index funds."  MORE >>

"The impact of this decision will extend beyond the Cornell dispute because all plan sponsors have similar service arrangements ... The Court ... [suggested] guardrails that could be imposed by district court judges to control those meritless lawsuits ... However, these guardrails would be imposed at the discretion of individual judges and their application would likely be inconsistent. Amending ERISA to clean up the language in Section 406 that the court was constrained by would be preferable[.]" [Cunningham v. Cornell Univ., No. 23-1007 (S.Ct. Apr. 17, 2025)]  MORE >>

"[T]he EBSA Investigations Transparency Act (HR 2869) ... would require DOL reporting on the status of its open employer plan audit projects.... [T]he Transparency for Secret Litigation Agreements Act (HR 2958) ... would require DOL to formalize and disclose situations in which it is providing 'adverse assistance' -- essentially, assistance to plaintiffs' lawyers suing sponsors and fiduciaries of ERISA employee benefit plans."  MORE >>

"The American Benefits Council strongly disagrees with the decision and the high court's rationale for it, and remains concerned that it could lead to increased litigation and higher costs for plan sponsors." [Cunningham v. Cornell Univ., No. 23-1007 (S.Ct. Apr. 17, 2025)]  MORE >>