Summarizes recent guidance relating to retirement plans (Notice 2026-13 and Notice 2026-09) as well as the updated user fees provided in Rev. Proc. 2026-4.  MORE >>

"The court held that [1] the plan validly consented to arbitration of the Section 502(a)(2) claim, [2] the plaintiff's individual claims were not subject to arbitration because he never personally consented, and [3] the clause's prohibition on representative actions and limitation to individual relief violated the effective vindication doctrine. The court remanded the case for further proceedings on severability." [Parrott v. International Bancshares Corp., No. 25-50367 (5th Cir. Feb. 10, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The fiduciary defendants here made what were essentially the same arguments that have been made -- successfully -- by fiduciaries in other cases at the same point in litigation. Of course ... the plan document language matters -- and here the judge found just enough ambiguity to want to reserve judgement on intent for trial." [Russell v. Illinois Tool Works, No. 22-2492 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 9, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The complaint, originally filed in March 2020, alleges the defendants failed to negotiate comparable contractual terms for the 401(k) plan's guaranteed investment fund and the company's defined benefit plan. Consequently, the 401(k) plan's GIF paid a significantly lower interest rate than the identical investment in the pension plan." [Sweeney v. Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co., No. 20-1569 (S.D. Ohio Feb. 9, 2026)]  MORE >>

"Auto portability is designed to reduce cash-outs, consolidate accounts, and keep retirement assets invested. Industry studies suggest that broad adoption of auto portability could help preserve up to $1.6 trillion in additional retirement savings over the coming decades."  MORE >>

"Pooled employer plans (PEPs) are the latest expansion in defined contribution plan outsourcing in the U.S., and pooled plan arrangements are well established across the globe ... Since the SECURE 2.0 Act passed in 2022, over 50,000 401(k) plan sponsors have adopted a PEP model. PEPs will soon become available to tax-exempt employers eligible to sponsor 403(b) plans."  MORE >>

"Almost all (98%) of retirees believe another layer of retirement income could have stopped them from completely exhausting their savings, and most describe a monthly retirement 'paycheck' as 'very important' or 'absolutely essential' to helping them pay their bills. MetLife also reports that retirees with annuities say they feel financially secure (94%) and have predictable budgets (92%)."  MORE >>

"CITs can add value to a retirement plan investment lineup, but plan sponsors should exercise caution. Their unique regulatory and structural characteristics demand thorough due diligence and detailed diligence documentation. Plan fiduciaries must look beyond a CIT's fund name to understand all facets of a CIT and evaluate its appropriateness for their plan(s) and participants."  MORE >>

"The most extraordinary development in the U.S. private sector retirement system is not the shift away from old-fashioned defined benefit plans, which began around 1980 and is virtually complete today, but rather the movement away from 401(k) plans, which replaced the defined benefit plans, to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Total IRA assets now exceed the money in 401(k)s by $7 trillion."  MORE >>

"In addition to no formal meetings, there was 'no correspondence, no communications, no nothing' in 2025. Multiple members inquired about the status of the EAC in 2025 and none of those inquiries were answered ... The website for the Council confirms there was no output for 2025 and lists no nominees or an agenda for 2026."  MORE >>

137 pages. "[This Handbook] is intended to help compensation committee members understand and comply with the duties imposed upon them.... [It describes] in some detail the concepts underlying a variety of areas within the bailiwick of compensation committees ... [and discusses] developments over recent years to executive and director compensation practices and related trends, particularly regarding the SEC's newly announced consideration of changes to executive compensation disclosure requirements and continued developments in laws relating to executive and employee noncompetition arrangement."  MORE >>