"Over a dozen states have active or developing programs -- and more legislation is in the pipeline.... [This article provides] a state-by-state summary of these mandates, including program name, covered employers, plan type, automatic enrollment features, deadlines, and penalties for non-compliance."  MORE >>

"[To] ease your administrative burden you may: [1] Eliminate any hour requirement for eligibility purposes, or [2] Require no more than 500 hours in a 12-month computation period. To avoid additional costs, you can impose a different (but still compliant) service requirement to receive employer contributions for all employees, or applicable only to part-time, temporary, or seasonal employees."  MORE >>

"While owner-only 401(k) plans are not subject to Title I of ERISA, they remain subject to Title II of ERISA, which coordinates the IRS prohibited transaction rules under Internal Revenue Code Section 4975. Therefore, if your client [as a 'disqualified person' under IRC Section 4975(e)(2)(E)] was involved in a PT under IRC Section 4975(c) with no exemption, they may still be liable for penalties under the tax code."  MORE >>

"Originally, terminated pension plans were not expected to qualify for special financial assistance ... The recent ruling reinterpreted that restriction, allowing previously excluded terminated and insolvent plans to resubmit applications.... [An] estimated 123 terminated plans, many with extensive outstanding liabilities, could ... cost approximately $6 billion, including $3.5 billion to repay the PBGC's earlier loans to approximately 91 terminated plans, which the inspector general's letter described as a potential waste." [Bd. of Trustees of the Bakery Drivers Local 550 and Industry Pension Fund v. PBGC, No. 23-7868 (2d Cir. Apr. 29, 2025)]  MORE >>

282 pages. "The OASDI reserves along with projected program income are sufficient to cover projected program cost over the next 9 years under the intermediate assumptions. The ratio of reserves to annual cost is projected to decline from 169 percent at the beginning of 2025, falling below 100 percent to 95 percent at the beginning of 2029. It is projected to remain below 100 percent until reserves become depleted during 2034. Because this ratio falls below 100 percent by the end of the 10th projection year, and remains below 100 percent, the hypothetical OASDI fund fails the Trustees' test of short-range financial adequacy." [Also available: Supplemental Tables]  MORE >>

"[F]iduciary consultants offer numerous services that can improve the overall health of the plan and even save the plan sponsor some money in the long run.... [1] Ensuring ERISA and regulatory compliance ... [2] Improving investment structure and mitigating risk through prudent oversight ... [3] Benchmarking fees and reducing unnecessary costs ... [4] Limiting fiduciary liability ... [5] Satisfying the ERISA 'Prudent Expert' requirement."  MORE >>

"[M]any plan fiduciaries don't realize that they can't meet their obligations if they don't understand them. That's where fiduciary training comes in. It is not just a best practice, but can be a critical defense in the event of litigation or a [DOL] investigation."  MORE >>

"[1] Establish a formal cybersecurity program ... [2] Conduct annual risk assessments ... [3] Require independent third-party audits ... [4] Define security roles and implement strong access controls ... [5] Ensure secure management of cloud services and vendors ... [6] Implement secure development practices and business resiliency programs ... [7] Encrypt sensitive data and maintain strong technical controls ... [8] Prepare for and respond to cybersecurity incidents."  MORE >>