"The [PBGC] is notifying the public that its civil monetary penalty amounts will not increase for the 2026 calendar year.... In accordance with guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), PBGC will continue to use the 2025 civil monetary penalty levels because there will be no cost-of-living adjustment for 2026."  MORE >>

"It's now been more than 6 years since the SECURE Act became law and almost 2 years since the IRS finalized its RMD regulations. Yet there's still plenty of confusion about how these rules work. ... [T]hese are the rules for retirement accounts inherited after 2019. Pre-SECURE Act rules applied for accounts inherited before 2020, and those old rules were grandfathered and continue to apply for those accounts. Also note that there are separate rules for successor beneficiaries (beneficiaries of beneficiaries)."  MORE >>

"[I]nvestment prudence is not included as an enforcement priority.... Given that the DOL recently released a proposed regulation that would provide a safe harbor for demonstrating prudence in selecting investment options for participant-directed plans, it may be that [FAB 2026-01] itself, together with the regulation, is the first example of the DOL backing away from regulation by enforcement in favor of advance guidance through notice-and-comment rulemaking."  MORE >>

"Qualified retirement plans and IRAs generally are tax-exempt trusts. However, if the trust generates unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) of $1,000 or more in a year, the trust must file IRS Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return, and pay any tax due.... Common sources of UBTI within a plan include: [1] Private equity, hedge funds, or limited partnership or company investments, [2] Leveraged real estate (debt-financed income), and/or [3] Certain alternative or 'non-traditional' investments."  MORE >>

"[At] one level, this is another excessive fee and fiduciary breach case involving a large defined contribution plan. But the complaint also reflects the continued expansion of ERISA litigation theories beyond simply whether fees were 'too high' -- and the 93-page filing further points to: how expenses were allocated, whether forfeitures were used appropriately, indirect compensation structures, disclosure practices, vendor oversight, competitive bidding processes, and fiduciary governance itself.... [T]he requested remedies include disgorgement, surcharge, accounting, restoration of losses, fiduciary removal, injunctive relief, statutory penalties, attorneys' fees, and other equitable relief." [Fuller v. Ford Motor Co., No. 26-11541 (E.D. Mich. complaint filed May 8, 2026)]  MORE >>

"Retirement planning is often addressed late in the merger process, yet decisions made before a transaction closes can significantly influence cost, compliance, employee confidence and long-term outcomes. A well-structured approach -- from pre-merger assessment through post-merger integration -- allows organizations to create a unified retirement strategy that supports employees and aligns with broader business objectives."  MORE >>

"Communication planning should begin alongside the de-risking project plan.... Early alignment across legal, human resources (HR), recordkeepers, and consulting partners helps ensure participants receive consistent information from the first notice forward.... Active employees, terminated vested participants, retirees, beneficiaries, and alternate payees face different options and decisions. Tailored messages help groups focus on what applies to them."  MORE >>

"[These] frequently asked questions provide a practical overview of how cash balance plans work, how they compare to other retirement arrangements, and what key design, compliance, funding, and distribution considerations may apply."  MORE >>

"[T]he main risks you face in retirement come from events that will either lower your expected assets or increase your expected spending liabilities. These risks include: [1] Less favorable than assumed investment returns; [2] Higher that assumed future inflation or cost increases; [3] Lower than assumed Social Security payments; [4] Uninsured asset losses; [5] Unanticipated spending ... [This article describes] how you can stress test some of these risks[.]"  MORE >>

"[A recent study] systematically examines how consultants shape the investment behavior of U.S. public pensions.... The core conclusion is devastating. Consultants push pensions toward the same high-fee investments, often through the same networks of private fund managers, creating widespread portfolio convergence and systemic concentration risk -- yet the study finds no meaningful evidence that these consultant-driven shifts improve performance."  MORE >>

"If enacted, the legislation [HR 8314] would allow employers to establish a 'Qualified Benefit Options Plan,' permitting current and former employees to direct their employer contributions to benefit programs that meet their specific needs. The contributions to eligible tax-favored employer-provided benefit programs would be allocated without triggering taxable income solely due to that choice. The available benefits would include: [1] Nonelective contributions to a retirement plan; [2] Health savings account or health reimbursement arrangement contributions; [3] Qualified educational assistance benefits (including student loan repayments); [4] 'Other benefits which are excluded from gross income' under the Internal Revenue Code."  MORE >>