47 pages; Nov. 6, 2025; pub. Dec. 18, 2025. "Reminders: [1] Distributions to victims of domestic abuse.... [2] Distributions for emergency personal expenses.... [3] Transfers and rollovers of assets and the substantially equal payment method.... [4] The direct payment requirement for certain distributions for payment of health or long-term care insurance repealed."  MORE >>

Topics: [1] 2025 Required Amendments List for Qualified and Section 403(b) Plans: Notice 2025-60 ... [2] Notice 2026-02: Update for weighted average interest rates, yield curves, and segment rates ... [3] Required Minimum Distributions ... [4] Qualified Charitable Distributions.  MORE >>

11 pages. "[A] recent executive action from the White House has signaled a shift toward a more favorable regulatory environment for Investment Solutions that incorporate alternative investments. This article examines the evolving regulatory landscape in this area and discusses the key considerations for Plan fiduciaries who are interested in giving their Plan participants access to alternative investments through the Plan's Investment Solutions."  MORE >>

"[T]he government asserted that the Sixth Circuit's ruling is incorrect and identifies two principal errors. The first error is the Sixth Circuit's conclusion that a plaintiff need not allege a meaningful benchmark to state a plausible claim of imprudence based on relative underperformance.... The second error asserted is the Sixth Circuit's acceptance that the plaintiffs below had pled a meaningful benchmark when asserting that the S&P Target Date Fund (TDF) was an appropriate comparator to the challenged funds." [Johnson v. Parker-Hannifin Corp., No. 24-3014 (6th Cir. Nov. 20, 2024; cert. pet filed Mar. 26, 2025, No. 24-1030; DOL amicus brief filed Dec. 9, 2025)\]  MORE >>

The final installment of PBGC’s 2023 Pension Insurance Data Tables is now available. This installment includes various breakdowns of the number of PBGC-insured defined benefit plans, number of plan participants, hybrid plans, frozen plans, premium revenue, plan funding, and risk transfer activity. Some of the breakdowns are by industry, location, plan size, and plan funded status. This year’s Data Tables have been revised by consolidating/removing certain tables.  MORE >>

"[T]he most important thing for plan sponsors and recordkeepers to communicate is that digital scams exist across an 'evolving landscape.' Not only are there commonplace clickbait phishing emails, but also artificial intelligence-powered deepfake scams sophisticated enough to make even the most tech-savvy of participants fall prey."  MORE >>

"Given the economic challenges and factors members of Gen X face ... 'saving for retirement is an outlier thought' for them. And that has ripple effects ... [T]hose who don't have retirement accounts are more gloomy about retirement than retirees, a sentiment fueled by fear of the unknown and uncertainty."  MORE >>

"[EBRI] has noted since the 2014 redesign of the CPS that its estimates have not been consistent with other data sources -- the CPS estimates have been much lower and have trended downward.... This Issue Brief examines the trend in retirement plan participation using the traditional pension questions from the CPS while looking at the impact of the new questions on retirement accounts."  MORE >>

"During November, the estimated cost to transfer retiree pension risk to an insurer in a competitive bidding process remained level, at 100.1% of a plan's accounting liabilities (accumulated benefit obligation, or ABO). ... During the same time period, the average annuity purchase cost ... also remained the same as the prior month, at 103.3%. The competitive bidding process is estimated to save plan sponsors about 3.2% of PRT costs as of November 30, 2025."  MORE >>

74 pages. "This paper examines the roles of various designs of decumulation-only CDC plans, referred to as Dynamic Pension (DP) plans, in providing sustainable retirement income for retirees.... [T]he paper explores crucial design elements for DP plans, such as valuation interest rates, benefit- smoothing mechanisms, and pension annuity forms. [The] findings highlight the necessity of a comprehensive design strategy for DP plans, incorporating regular reviews and adjustments to ensure fairness, stability, and participant satisfaction."  MORE >>

"[A recent article explains] how the data actually supports the position that later retirement ages are actually better for health and longevity. If you accept the data and the analysis, then it is possible that the proverbial knowledge worker ... is better off retiring as late as possible, and not linking that to the invented construct of 65 as the proverbial age of retirement. And if you accept that, then maybe many of the rules around ERISA – such as required minimum distributions – are ill thought out, as vestiges of a belief that retirement, and the burning off of retirement assets, should occur on some sort of standardized timeline."  MORE >>

"Of interest for 401(k) plans and health and welfare plans is a clarification regarding reporting of delinquent participant contributions on Schedule DCG, Schedule H, or Schedule I, as applicable.... References to the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program have been updated to reflect the most recent version (issued in early 2025). ... Other changes relate to defined benefit plans."  MORE >>

"Plan sponsors should be collaborating with their payroll vendors and recordkeepers to understand how mandatory Roth catch-up contributions will be processed for high wage earners ... [If] at least one applicable retirement plan within a controlled group permits super catch-up contributions, all controlled group retirement plans must also permit super catch-up contributions.... By February 16, 2026, each HIPAA covered entity and business associate must update its Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) ... Some section 409A corrections under Notice 2008-113 must be completed by year-end, making now the ideal time to identify and finalize correction of any lingering errors."  MORE >>

"[T]he Fifth Circuit reversed an award of more than $1.8 million in attorneys' fees under ERISA Section 502(g)(1), holding that a claimant who ultimately obtained no substantive relief cannot recover fees based solely on favorable factual findings or judicial criticism of plan procedures." [Cloud v. Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Ret. Plan, No. 25-10337 (5th Cir. Dec. 18, 2025),]  MORE >>

"Organizations invest heavily in benchmarking, employee surveys, and high-demand perks like flexible work arrangements and mental health resources. But offering competitive programs is only half the equation. What matters is how employees perceive the value and applicability of those programs."  MORE >>

"ISS and Glass Lewis policy changes applicable to the U.S.... [1] Pay-for-Performance -- ISS & Glass Lewis; [2] Responsiveness to Low Say-on-Pay Votes -- ISS; [3] High Non-Employee Director Pay -- ISS; [4] Equity Plan Proposals -- ISS; [5] Pay-for-Performance -- ISS & Glass Lewis (New)."  MORE >>