"The proposed change to the 2002 safe harbor regulation would add a paragraph that states a benefit statement described in ERISA section 105(a)(2)(E) may be furnished electronically only if the plan first provides a one-time initial notice on paper.... The 2020 safe harbor regulations would also be updated ... [to] clarify that any paper benefit statement required by section 105(a)(2)(E) is to be furnished without charge. "  MORE >>

"The proposed regulations on the $1,000 pilot program detail the requirements for making the election to receive this contribution from the Treasury Department.... Although much of the text deals with exactly how the IRS views the contribution -- as a 'deemed overpayment of tax' by the child and then a refund -- one provision seems to stand out. This $1,000 payment can be made to the child up to the year the child turns age 17.... [A second set of] proposed regulations define various terms; explain how to make an election to open the account; and clarify who can open an initial account, how to open the account, and how to designate the responsible party to manage the account."  MORE >>

"[In proposed regs] the IRS explained that automatic enrollment will not work for Trump accounts, despite the urging of many commenters ... [T]here were two issues ... The first is that the administration of individual accounts is not the same as the defined contribution (DC) plans that have made wide use of auto-enrollment.... Secondly, the IRS said that it could not auto-enroll because it could violate tax privacy laws under Section 6103."  MORE >>

"The law set July 1, 2027 as the deadline for the state plans to offer self-directed brokerage accounts with at least one [digital asset] option. Affected plans are Hoosier START, the state's public employees' deferred compensation plan, which offers 457(b) and 401(a) plans; the state legislators' defined contribution plan; and other retirement funds and accounts for 'specified' public employees and teachers."  MORE >>

"[T]he proposed ERISA class action [alleges] the company and its fiduciaries breached their duties by selecting and retaining the American Century lineup of target-date funds that significantly underperformed peer investments." [McGeathy v. The Reinalt-Thomas Corporation, d/b/a Discount Tire Co., Inc., , No. 25-1439 (D. Ariz. Mar. 4, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The court rejected dismissal at the pleading stage, holding that the complaint plausibly alleged that the defendants were fiduciaries and ... may have failed to prudently monitor and replace the funds. The court also allowed failure‑to‑monitor claims against company officials responsible for appointing and overseeing plan investment decision‑makers under the theory they acted as fiduciaries in selecting and retaining the trustee appointed to make those decisions for the plan." [McGeathy v. The Reinalt-Thomas Corporation, d/b/a Discount Tire Co., Inc., , No. 25-1439 (D. Ariz. Mar. 4, 2026)]  MORE >>

"[In November of 2023,] 11 percent of respondents were using AI in some capacity to help with HR tasks, most commonly to help draft job descriptions and other documents. With what feels like a big increase in use of AI lately across the board, [PSCA] asked members again last week if they are using AI with any benefits tasks, specifically retirement related tasks. Nearly half of of respondents (46 percent) stated they use AI in some capacity to assist with HR tasks -- a huge jump in just two years."  MORE >>

"The compensation and deferral limits are published as annual limits. How does that work on a per pay period basis? This post explains how misunderstanding the plan provisions and statutory limits leads to match calculation errors, potential plan corrections, and what payroll and HR teams need to know to prevent compliance errors."  MORE >>

"You should have no problem if you were in only one plan during 2025. Your plan should have automatically blocked you from exceeding the deferral limit. Even if that didn't happen, the plan is responsible for fixing the problem. But you may have a problem if you were in two different plans during the year because you had two jobs at the same time or changed jobs. Since one plan could not be expected to know how much you contributed to the other plan, the burden is on you to keep track of your combined deferrals."  MORE >>

"By reframing portability, consolidation, and the implementation of public policy programs as shared network services rather than firm-by-firm responsibilities, clearinghouse services directly attack the root causes of fragmentation and leakage.... Without a clearinghouse, the Saver's Match risks falling prey to the same fragmentation that has plagued small balances for decades.... The Auto Locate Network is envisioned as a network query mechanism that would address the persistent problem of missing participants ... The Digital Rollover Network service would introduce new functionality specifically designed to reconnect disengaged participants with their savings."  MORE >>

"83% of retirees who have money in an IRA account will not take their money out until they're forced to at the RMD age ... The number-one reason is they don't want to pay ... ordinary income on their deductible retirement accounts.... [W]hat would happen if we incentivize that money to come out of these accounts sooner, if we made it easier? ... [T]rillions of dollars would come out of these retirement accounts.... [R]etirees would ... either move it into a taxable account, leave the investments that they're already in and pay the flat tax, or some of that money would get loosened up."  MORE >>