"The projected 2026 limits may not be revolutionary, but the Roth catch-up shift for high earners is a game-changer. This isn't just about a $1,000 bump -- it's about how plan sponsors manage communication, compliance, and participant trust."  MORE >>

"If the Supreme Court sides with the Second Circuit, ... withdrawal liability estimates requested by and provided to employers prior to their withdrawal will be more reliable estimates of the actual withdrawal liability.... If, however, the court sides with the D.C. Circuit ... withdrawal liability estimates will be arguably unreliable for purposes of estimating the actual withdrawal liability, making it more difficult to plan for withdrawal liability in the same manner as an employer does any other corporate liability." [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 >>

"Stress testing and scenario analysis are essential tools for trustees and investment committees seeking to understand how pension plans will perform under adverse market conditions. These methodologies help quantify vulnerabilities, guide strategic decisions, and ensure that plans remain solvent and resilient, even during economic shocks.... As pension plans mature, the divergence between active participants and retirees becomes more pronounced -- not just demographically, but financially.... This structural imbalance demands a differentiated investment approach."  MORE >>

"Private equity funds are fundamentally different from mutual funds or ETFs, which have daily liquidity. PE funds are illiquid -- typically locking up capital for 5-10 years. Their valuations are based on models, not transparent market pricing. Their fees can be five to 10 times higher than traditional index funds. The standard for most models is the '2 and 20' model: 2% management fee and 20% of the profits, which is much higher than your typical index fund."  MORE >>

"The CPI as reported by the BLS for the 12 months ended September 30, 2025, was 3.0%, higher than the 2.4% annual change in the CPI as of September 30, 2024 (i.e., the close of the prior FFY).... Based on the reported CPI, [Milliman] estimate[s] the annual increase factor for the 2026 IRS limits to be about 2.9%.... [F]inal predictions for the 2026 IRS limits are shown in [a table]."  MORE >>

"While 56% of plan sponsors believe employees are prepared to manage finances without a paycheck in retirement, only 42% of participants feel the same.... Only 19% of participants describe themselves as 'very accepting' of market risk ... yet sponsors tend to overestimate participant comfort with investment loss....62% of participants mistakenly believe TDFs provide income, and 34% think TDFs guarantee against losses, highlighting a persistent knowledge gap."  MORE >>

28 pages. "A few of the most common forms of employee ownership are the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), Employee Stock Option Plan (ESO), Restricted Stock Units (RSU) and Worker Cooperatives (co-ops).... Employee ownership isn't meant as a replacement for wages or retirement plans. Rather, it is meant to supplement wages and help employees build generational wealth and greater autonomy in the workplace."  MORE >>

"Plans with higher Pension Protection Act funded percentages tend to be in the green zone, but that isn't always the case.... The median burn rate for C&D plans is more than twice that of red-zone plans. For SFA recipient plans, the median inactive-to-active ratio is much higher than for other plans, including C&D plans."  MORE >>

"23 states each had over $20 billion in unfunded pension liabilities at the end of the 2024 fiscal year ... Two states had more than $200 billion in public pension debt: California ($265 billion in unfunded pension liabilities) and Illinois ($201 billion). Two other states reported more than $90 billion in unfunded pension liabilities: Texas ($92.2 billion) and New Jersey ($92 billion)."  MORE >>

16 pages. "To encourage broad utilization, it is important to foster a robust competitive marketplace for Trump Accounts.... [ICI] encourage[s] Treasury to use its interpretive authority to broaden the universe of Eligible Investments as much as possible, rather than to shrink it.... [ICI] urge[s] Treasury to create a streamlined and efficient reporting regime for Trump Accounts that aligns as much as possible with existing reporting for IRAs and 529 plans."  MORE >>

"Three former Morgan Stanley financial advisers ... [allege] the agency acted unlawfully when it issued an advisory opinion siding with Morgan Stanley about whether certain deferred compensation plans are protected under [ERISA]. The lawsuit ... claims the DOL's [Advisory Opinion 2025-03A] violated the Administrative Procedure Act and unfairly interfered with ongoing arbitration proceedings." [Sheresky v. Chaves-DeRemer, No. 25-8935 (S.D.N.Y. complaint filed Oct. 28, 2025)]  MORE >>