"[T]he Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court's denial of injunctive relief and dismissal of certain ERISA claims brought by a union and its trustees against co-trustees on a Taft-Hartley health and welfare fund. The case involved allegations of fiduciary breaches stemming from internal board disputes, amendments to trust documents, and alleged 'entrenchment' of two union-appointed trustees." [Int'l Union of Painters & Allied Trades Dist. Council No. 6 v. Smith, No. 24-3282 (6th Cir. Jul. 31, 2025]  MORE >>

"[T]he Seventh Circuit reversed a district court judgment that required Univar Solutions USA Inc. to continue making pension contributions under ERISA despite its clear intent to terminate the agreement. The court held that Univar's written notice -- though it referenced both 'modification or termination' -- sufficiently satisfied the requirements of the CBA's evergreen clause, allowing the company to withdraw from the Fund in 2021." [Cent. States, Se. & Sw. Areas Pension Fund v. Univar Sols. USA Inc., No. 24-1348 (7th Cir. Jul. 31, 2025)]  MORE >>

"On July 9, 2025, the DOL filed an amicus brief in favor of the defendant-employer in a lawsuit challenging the use of 401(k) plan forfeitures in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.... [On] June 2, 2025, the DOL announced an enhanced opinion letter program ... The recent shift to a more fiduciary-friendly enforcement position will likely be supported by the nominee for Assistant Secretary of Labor for [EBSA], Dan Aronowitz, who has not yet been confirmed by the full Senate. "  MORE >>

"31% said they would let AI choose stocks for their portfolio, 22% said they would allow AI to purchase cryptocurrency, 15% would permit the technology to rebalance their 401(k) accounts, and 31% would trust AI in helping them file their taxes.... A quarter (25%) of respondents said they would trust AI more than their current financial advisor, and 28% would even let the technology plan their retirement for them."  MORE >>

"Employers may wish to consider whether it is feasible to amend their plans to exclude undocumented workers. In the case of a 401(k) plan, this exclusion would allow employers to forfeit employer contributions (and related earnings) and refund employee contributions if the employer later determines that an employee who had been permitted to participate in the plan was ineligible due to being undocumented."  MORE >>

"Automation allows for price relief for modest-sized companies that have been paying more to provide retirement benefits."  MORE >>

"[IRI has] significant concerns about the potential removal of the Regulation and respectfully urge[s] the Department to withdraw the Direct Final Rule and retain the Regulation. The longstanding safe harbor established in the Regulation continues to play an important and complementary role alongside the statutory safe harbor enacted under the SECURE Act. Its continued availability promotes clarity and confidence among plan fiduciaries evaluating annuity distribution options for retirement plans."  MORE >>

"On June 30, the DOL issued a Direct Final Rule (DFR) announcing the removal of several long-standing ERISA Interpretive Bulletins ... Interpretive Bulletin 75-2 ... Interpretive Bulletin 75-6 ... Interpretive Bulletin 75-10 ... The DOL isn't changing any rules here -- they're just pruning old ones that no longer apply."  MORE >>

"Although the original House version of the bill provided for extensive health care changes and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms, the final OBBB contains only a few provisions that affect employee benefit plans.... [1] High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) enhancements ... [2] Increased dependent care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) limits ... [3] Tax-deferred savings accounts for children -- 'Trump Accounts'."  MORE >>