"Although not discussed in [Rev. Rul. 2025-15], the IRS's holdings are consistent with general constructive receipt principles, under which an individual cannot affect their tax obligations by turning their back on compensation."  MORE >>

"The Supreme Court ... has limited its review to the following issue: Whether [ERISA's] instruction to compute withdrawal liability 'as of the end of the plan year' requires the plan to base the computation on the actuarial assumptions most recently adopted before the end of the year, or allows the plan to use different actuarial assumptions that were adopted after, but based on information available as of, the end of the year." [M & K Employee Solutions, LLC v. Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund, No. 22-7157 (D.C. Cir Feb. 9, 2024; cert. pet. granted Jun. 30, 2025 No. 23-1209)]   MORE >>

"The threat of deepfake-enabled fraud is no longer theoretical. For retirement plan fiduciaries, the convergence of emerging AI capabilities, publicly available participant data, and legacy plan processes (like paper forms) creates an urgent need to reevaluate both operational safeguards and fiduciary awareness. The unfortunate reality is that many fiduciaries remain unaware of the personal liability they shoulder or the specific vulnerabilities that exist within their plan's administrative framework."  MORE >>

"The biggest growth in the number of 401(k) plans offered in America over the next five years will overwhelmingly come from the small or 'micro' 401(k) plan market -- consisting of plans with less than $5 million in assets.... Cerulli expects 92% of all 401(k) plans will be in the micro plan segment by 2029 ... [and] forecasts there will be more than one million 401(k) plans by the end of the decade -- an increase of 36% over the next five years."  MORE >>

"Five industry experts weigh in on the benefits, the challenges and the misconceptions associated with pooled employer plans.... More than four years and $10 billion in assets into their launch, pooled employer plans remain far from the finished product."  MORE >>

"Both Houses of Congress have introduced the 'Small Nonprofit Retirement Security Act' [HR 4548; S 2365] which would provide a tax credit of up to $5,000 for the three years of a retirement plan's operation and an additional $500 for auto-enrollment features. Since nonprofits generally do not have an income tax liability, the credit will be delivered against their payroll tax liability."  MORE >>

"This strategy challenges conventional retirement rules of thumb by combining traditional savings, home equity and annuities to provide higher income and liquid savings and help cover long-term care costs."  MORE >>

"The estimated ratio of pension assets to promised benefits has increased over the last two years by 1.5 percentage points to 77.7 percent. This increase reflects a boost in assets from higher contributions and solid returns, and the realization of benefit cuts scheduled for new employees. The impact of these positive fundamentals is partially offset by: [1] negative cash flows associated with maturing plans; and [2] basic growth in benefit liabilities."  MORE >>

"Many clients will be retired 35 years or longer, and a 60/40 asset allocation won't cut it. Reducing retirement withdrawal rates isn't the answer. For most clients, a much higher allocation to stocks ought to be held well into their 70s and 80s."  MORE >>

"Beyond fees, funds, fiduciary and even financial wellness, what does it take to be a great advisor? Clearly the answer is courage.... Which raises the existential question of why advisors do what they do, or their mission statement -- to help people or make money? While not mutually exclusive, which comes first and which trumps the other when difficult decisions need to be made?"  MORE >>

"Tax-exempt organizations with employees who earn $1 million or more may have increased tax liability ... particularly due to severance agreements. However, beginning in 2026, organizations will no longer need to track the top highest paid employees.... If individuals lose ACA premium tax credits, they may instead seek enrollment in employer sponsored plans that could increase plan costs ... Bronze and catastrophic plans are treated as HDHPs regardless of their deductible levels and out-of-pocket maximums."  MORE >>

"According to IRS records, 25,386 employees separated, took a DRP offer, or used some other incentive to leave. Another 294 employees were sent termination notices due to RIF actions. These departures represent 25 percent of the IRS's [total] workforce ... [A]pproximately 27 percent of tax examiners separated, while 26 percent of revenue agents separated.... Business Units affected by the separations [include]: 569 employees, or 25%, of the Tax Exempt & Government Entities (TE/GE) unit."  MORE >>

Video of July 21 hearing. Opening Statement by Chairman Rick Allen (R-GA), and witness testimony from: [1] Mr. Lars Golumbic, Groom Law Group; [2] Mr. Andy Banducci, ERISA Industry Committee; [3] Ali Khawar, FCP, LLC; and [4] Mr. Jim Bonham, Employee Stock Ownership Association.  MORE >>

"Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code is ... aimed at curbing excessive payouts (i.e., golden parachute payments) in connection with a merger or acquisition of a U.S. or non-U.S. company.... This article provides an overview of Section 280G, explains its key definitions and how it works, and provides some practical examples to illustrate the rules."  MORE >>

"[1] What does Section 409A regulate? ... [2] Which arrangements are exempt? ... [3] What distribution events are allowed? ... [4] What penalties apply for noncompliance? ... [5] What are the most common Section 409A mistakes? ... [6] How can I ensure Section 409A compliance? ... [T]he Dual Risk in 409A Noncompliance.... [1] Tax penalties under Section 409A ... [2] Breach of contract or fiduciary duty claims."  MORE >>