"This notice provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates ... and the 24-month average segment rates ... [as well as] the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities ... as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate[.]"  MORE >>

"The two regulations not only laid out some serious technical groundwork for the current DC lifetime income programs but -- as the affected stakeholders pointed out to the DOL -- they are actually still in use.... There are valuable lessons about DC lifetime income programs we can all draw from the DOL's miscalculations about the continuing efficacy of annuity regulations."  MORE >>

"While the headlines emphasize new investment possibilities, ERISA fiduciaries must proceed with caution. The Executive Order sets policy direction, but it does not alter fiduciary obligations under ERISA. Moreover, in light of recent Supreme Court precedent, fiduciaries should reexamine how much reliance they can place on agency guidance and regulations when making decisions about designated plan investment options."  MORE >>

"For plan sponsors and fiduciaries, ... the order is likely to make their roles and the process of selecting investment options more complicated. It could also make plan administration more costly.... While some participants will find fault with the mere fact that riskier investments will now be available, others might question sponsors that elect not to make such options available."  MORE >>

"The panel issued a split disposition: affirming dismissal of most claims for failure to state a claim, but vacating dismissal of the prohibited transaction and related “breach by omission” claims in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Cunningham v. Cornell University." [Collins v. Ne. Grocery, Inc., No. 24-2339 (2d Cir. Aug. 18, 2025)]  MORE >>

"The plaintiffs alleged that reductions in their pension benefits, implemented under the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014 (MPRA), amounted to an uncompensated taking under the Fifth Amendment. The Federal Circuit affirmed the Court of Federal Claims' grant of summary judgment for the government, holding that the benefit reductions did not constitute either a physical or regulatory taking." [King v. U.S., No. 23-1956 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 18, 2025)]  MORE >>

"[E]xpanding small benefit-cash out rules may produce significant savings on PBGC premiums and other costs related to plan administration.... [In] the current interest rate environment, the cost related to differences in interest rates is often less than the long-term savings from reduced PBGC premiums and other administrative costs.... [S]electing an IRA provider is an important part of the process ... [T]rustees may [want to] increase the length of the break in service after which a terminated vested participant is subject to cash-out. "  MORE >>

"Over one million workers have saved more than $2 billion with state-run automatic individual retirement accounts (IRAs).... [P]lans initially took six years to reach one billion but just 18 months to total $2 billion dollars.... More than 250,000 employers have registered to incorporate an auto-IRA into their workforce, and 'tens of thousands more' have elected to establish their own 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan[.]"  MORE >>

"Accredited investors are assumed to be financially sophisticated individuals and are therefore able to participate in more complex investment strategies.... [F]ailing to consider qualified retirement assets in net worth under the definition of accredited investor would result in the exclusion of more financially sophisticated investors, not less, which is likely counter to the intent of any kind of potential change to the definition."  MORE >>

"Incentives for individuals to save for retirement currently total 1.5% of US GDP. For that substantial investment, we get a system that actually deepens wealth inequality.... This Article examines the structural causes of these disparities ... critiques the shortcomings of the non-discrimination rules, and proposes practical reforms to the 401(k) system ... [These] reforms would realign public policy to address the related needs for more economic equality and to provide equitable incentives for retirement savings for the many, not just the few."  MORE >>

"These final regulations remove the physical presence requirement for formal continuing professional education programs required for active (printed page 40232) enrolled actuaries and the physical location requirement from course certifications. These final regulations also modify the continuing professional education requirement for certain actuaries who seek to return to active enrollment from inactive status due to their failure to timely satisfy the renewal requirements in the first enrollment cycle after their initial enrollment. Finally, the final regulations add a requirement that certificates of instruction for continuing professional education courses must reflect the hours credited toward the formal program requirement."  MORE >>

"When an employee passes away, employers are suddenly faced with a tangle of legal, tax, and benefits questions that don’t come up in your average HR handbook. Who gets the final wages? What about that bonus they were about to earn? Can we offer extra support to the family without triggering a tax nightmare? ... What happens to PTO, health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits? ... The generous employer’s dilemma."  MORE >>

"Company equity is a powerful tool for compensating employees, attracting investors, and aligning the interests of key stakeholders with the long-term goals of the business. It is also a complex area that requires careful planning and consideration to avoid common pitfalls. Founders should consider the equity as a resource that dilutes existing ownership and look at the long-term implications of their decisions to allocate equity."  MORE >>