"Projecting the growth of benefits based on one rate and discounting them based on another rate creates a wild fluctuation in the liability for those benefits ... The FASB Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) recommended that benefits that meet the strict definition of a Market-Based Cash Balance plan should be valued by setting the discount rate to be equal to the assumed interest crediting rate. This simple-sounding fix effectively eliminates the issue and allows benefits to be valued at the account balance with appropriate adjustments for specific, and usually minor, benefit provisions[.]"  MORE >>

"[FEMA] issued Major Disaster Declarations on January 23 and January 24 for [twelve] states relative to winter storms.... For a limited period of time following a disaster declaration, eligible IRA owners and employer plan participants may take qualified disaster recovery distributions and recontribute qualified home purchase distributions that they recently received. In addition, plan participants may qualify for plan loan relief and additional hardship distributions."  MORE >>

"Where district courts have ruled on motions to dismiss forfeiture-related claims, to date they have largely sided with defendant-employers ... [F]orfeiture claims have been dismissed in at least 25 cases and have been allowed to survive in at least six cases.... Appeals are currently pending in the Third, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits, and Bank of America recently requested permission for a Fourth Circuit appeal. The Ninth Circuit is poised to be the first to rule."  MORE >>

14 pages. "The U.S. retirement system is at a pivotal moment -- shaped by evolving regulation, rapid technological change, and a renewed focus on meeting the diverse needs of plan participants. This [report spotlights] three transformative themes: enhanced diversification in defined contribution (DC) plans to address modern market complexities, the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence (AI) across the retirement ecosystem, and the growing demand for personalized advice solutions."  MORE >>

"T. Rowe Price's solution for diversification ... is to expand the opportunity to include private assets in multi-asset products.... [P]rivate markets overall have grown by 618% in the past 15 years, at nearly three times the speed of public assets' growth.... [P]rivate markets may also provide investors access to private company growth and may return premiums that differ from public-only portfolios."  MORE >>

"82% said their use of AI for finance had increased in the past 12 months. Overall, 71.8% of respondents said they made financial decisions as a result of AI guidance or information, and almost one in eight -- 11.9% -- said they took 'significant actions' in their retirement planning following AI feedback."  MORE >>

"AI is a fantastic tool when used properly, and can be easy to use, but you need to know that the information it gives will be flawed if you input incomplete or incorrect parameters or fail to interpret the output correctly. Using it for research may be a good first step, but it is important to make sure to check the citations and read the source material to which they refer and ensure that you're doing things correctly."  MORE >>

"The Mississippi Legislature reintroduced legislation that would establish a state-run program to offer Roth individual retirement accounts and other after-tax contribution vehicles to provide coverage for private sector workers who lack access to retirement plans through their employers."  MORE >>

"[A]ccounts can receive contributions from five sources: [1] The $1,000 federal pilot payment; [2] Qualified general contributions from states, nonprofits or tribal governments for specific groups of children; [3] Employer contributions up to $2,500 annually ... [4] Rollovers from a previous Trump Account; and [5] Voluntary contributions from parents or others up to $5,000 annually[.]"  MORE >>

"Although each state has its nuances, the following framework helps districts navigate plan implementation effectively: [1] Assess employee needs and interest ... [2] Review state law and governance structure ... [3] Define objectives and plan design ... [4] Select a provider or consortium ... [5] Adopt plan documents and implementation procedures ... [6] Coordinate payroll and recordkeeping systems ... [7] Launch and educate ... [8] Provide legislative updates for SECURE and SECURE 2.0."  MORE >>

"Comments are invited on: [1] Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; [2] the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; [3] ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; [4] ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and [5] estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.... There is no change to the previously approved information collection."  MORE >>