With the shutdown ended, the [IRS] has finally issued Notice 2025-67, setting out the limits on benefits and contributions for 2026. Maximum deferrals under a 401(k) or 403(b) plan rose from $23,500 to $24,500, while maximum benefits under a defined benefit plan rose from $280,000 to $290,000. This page includes a chart showing details, and limits from 1996 to 2026.  MORE >>

"If reading all these rules has you thinking about eliminating Roth provisions or catch-ups from your plan, I don't blame you, so here are some of the most common considerations ... [1] Plans do not have to offer a Roth option. [2] Plans cannot require that ALL catch-up contributions be ROTH contributions. [3] Plans cannot make Roth available only for catch-up contributions. [4] Plans cannot make Roth available only to catch-up eligible participants. [5] Catch-up eligible participants who are not High Earners are not precluded from making catch-up contributions in a plan that does not have a Roth feature."  MORE >>

"Sponsors will need to amend plan documents implementing the Roth catch-up rule no later than December 31, 2026 ... With respect to safe harbor 401(k) plans, the IRS indicated that a midyear plan amendment implementing this feature does not constitute a prohibited midyear change that would jeopardize safe harbor status."  MORE >>

"[E]mployers that already sponsor a qualified retirement plan ... are not required to enroll employees in New York Secure Choice.... [E]mployers are neither required nor permitted to make employer contributions to an eligible employee's Roth IRA in the New York Secure Choice program.... [An] employer's role is limited to facilitating employee participation in the program."  MORE >>

"The plaintiffs-appellants assert that en banc review should be granted because it 'will [] further ERISA's goals of establishing a uniform regulatory regime over employee benefit plans.' They point out that 'a total of seven other circuits have rejected an exhaustion requirement for fiduciary breach and statutory claims under ERISA' and argue that if the case had of been brought in 'virtually any other circuit, Plaintiffs would have been permitted to proceed on the merits.' " [Bolton v. Inland Fresh Seafood Corp. of Am., Inc., No. 24-10084 (11th Cir. Oct. 15, 2025; pet. for rehearing filed Nov. 5, 2025)]  MORE >>

"87.4 percent of eligible employees contributed to their 401(k) accounts up from 86.9 percent the previous year.... Average employee deferrals were 7.7% of pay (down from 7.8% in 2023), and employer contributions averaged 4.8% (down from 4.9%) for a total savings rate of 12.5% of pay.... 2.7% of participants took a hardship withdrawal in 2024, up from 2.1% in 2023 -- while plan loan usage declined ... 20 percent of plans now offer [Roth employer contributions], up from 13 percent in 2023, with a third of plans considering adding it."  MORE >>

"[P]lan sponsors reported a near equal focus on financial wellness for participants (39%) ... ensuring regulatory compliance (37%) and reducing costs (36%) in their plan.... 44% [state] that AI will have the greatest impact on the success of their plan over the next three- to five-year period.... 29% reported they are currently using or considering a MEP or PEP specifically as a way to lower plan costs.... 67% of plan sponsors said they are considering switching to a MEP or PEP or may consider it in the future. "  MORE >>

"While the ongoing evolution and adoption of PEPs is worth monitoring, the trade-offs in flexibility, governance, and investment access may in some cases outweigh the benefits of a more tailored and flexible structure. Employers, for example, can also ease fiduciary burdens and lower costs through options like hiring a 3(38) investment manager, adding a 3(16) plan administrator, or incorporating CITs into their lineup — without needing to join a PEP."  MORE >>

"A professional uniquely positioned to discuss cybersecurity in the context of retirement plans offers her insights on the nuances and hard realities of protecting assets, balances, sensitive information and more from unauthorized access.... She observed that 73% of the organizations that experience a breach of security experience a second one. And this, she said, 'is because they didn't identify the cause and didn't fix it.' "  MORE >>

27 pages. "Those in plans that offer flexible distributions are about 35% more likely to remain in the plan three years after retirement, are 15%-25% less likely to cash out their balance in the first year, and have balances that are nearly twice as high as those in plans without flexible options. Nearly 3 in 10 retirees stay in the plan three years after retiring, and about a third of them make withdrawals. "  MORE >>

"[T]he American Ownership and Resilience Act (AORA) [HR 3248; S 1645] would expand pools of investment capital necessary to grow the field while respecting the original intentions of the founders of ESOP legislation to create not ephemeral employee ownership but stable, long term employee ownership which broadens participation in business ownership and strengthens the American economy."  MORE >>

The IRS has now released all of the 2026 benefit limits, including both the cafeteria and health plan limits as well as all of the qualified retirement plan limits. Earlier this year, IRS also released the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and Health Savings Account (HSA) limits. This chart shows all of these limits for 2025 and 2026.  MORE >>

"The Puerto Rico Christmas Bonus is a local tradition that comes with significant statutory requirements for employers. There are two tiers of employee eligibility and bonus amount depending on employee hire date and employer headcount. Employer profitability-related exemptions may apply, as do penalties of various percentages for failure to timely pay the Christmas Bonus."  MORE >>