"This notice provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve, the corresponding spot segment rates ... and the 24-month average segment rates ... [as well as] the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities ... as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008 and the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate[.]"  MORE >>

"The Trump administration is weighing whether to allow contributions of appreciated stock directly into Section 530A 'Trump Accounts' ... Recent news coverage has described a potential 'double tax benefit' for wealthy donors who contribute appreciated shares. The reality, as set out in the statute itself, is more nuanced."  MORE >>

"[A] favorable regulatory environment doesn't make you lawsuit-proof. The most practical steps you can take today are: first, make sure your plan document explicitly provides for multiple allowed uses of forfeitures so fiduciaries have documented discretion; second, when your plan committee makes a decision about how to apply forfeitures in a given year, document the reasoning behind that decision in committee minutes; and third, make sure forfeitures are being used within the 12-month period after plan year-end deadline to avoid creating a separate operational compliance headache on top of any litigation exposure."  MORE >>

"This one-year extension is important as we still do not have updated IRA model forms (last revised in 2017), updated 'LRM' (List of Required Modifications) language (generally last updated in 2010), or an open opinion letter program. Although the rollout of Trump Accounts, which are based on traditional IRAs, raised expectations that there would be a push to finalize model language, it appears that the extension is necessary after all. SIMPLE IRA plans (and SIMPLE IRAs) have a number of changes to address, including the new Roth SIMPLE IRAs[.]"  MORE >>

"While early cases focused heavily on excessive recordkeeping fees and imprudent investment options, recent lawsuits have sharpened their focus on plan forfeitures and revenue-sharing accounts, alleging breaches of fiduciary duty related to how these amounts are used, allocated, and disclosed. Plaintiffs' firms are increasingly targeting routine plan practices that were historically viewed as operational or discretionary, arguing that these practices result in unnecessary plan expenses or unfair cost shifting to participants. As a result, plan sponsors, committees, and service providers are reassessing long‑standing practices through a litigation‑risk lens."  MORE >>

"This Fast Fact highlights that account balances and contributions -- both in dollar amounts and as a percentage of salary -- are lower among female participants across all age groups.... [F]emale participants tend to invest significantly less in equity funds and more in target-date funds compared with their male counterparts."  MORE >>

"Among actively contributing participants, 42% had a Roth account option in their retirement plan.... 12% of participants use a Roth option.... [P]articipants who did not have a Roth option when joining the plan [are] less likely to have Roth contributions. Participants who are younger, not plan investment defaulters, and in a DC plan with mandatory employee contributions are significantly more likely to locate contributions to a Roth account. Half of Roth contributors use Roth accounts exclusively. "  MORE >>

"many retirees do not draw down their assets in a smooth or predictable way over retirement, and that access to guaranteed income streams, such as defined benefit pension income, may play an important role in helping retirees preserve assets and manage financial shocks later in life."  MORE >>

"Advisers to the fiduciaries of 401(k) plans -- who may be fiduciaries themselves -- should look to help their clients understand both the variety of solutions available in the retirement plan marketplace and the legal issues involved in selecting a lifetime income solution."  MORE >>

"Lower-income workers who would be directly affected by a federal retirement plan experience the largest proportional gains. Automatic enrollment produces more than double the wealth gains of voluntary enrollment at the same contribution rate. Potential enhancements to the Saver's Match program can amplify gains, especially for lower and middle-income workers. Long-term participation has a larger impact on outcomes than plan design."  MORE >>

"The memorandum, which has no legal effect, was issued by Daniel Aronowitz, Assistant Secretary for EBSA.... The fact that he issued it to the Director of Enforcement of field staff, as well as the field staff, underscores its importance, because the Director of Enforcement issued all prior Field Assistance Bulletins.... The emphasis on not making law by litigation and reducing participant litigation that results only in big payouts for plaintiff class-action lawyers is something the Assistant Secretary wrote about even before being appointed to lead EBSA."  MORE >>