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June's don't miss Web-only content at ebn.benefitnews.com, your best online resource for benefits news and information.

For the year ending in September 2010, 26.3% of Americans (or 62.8 million people) volunteered through or for an organization at least once, according to the Current Population Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among working Americans, 29.2% volunteered, compared to 23.8% of unemployed persons and 22% of those not in the labor force.

The Employers Council on Flexible Compensation is fighting to repeal parts of the health care reform law that establish annual caps for flexible spending accounts and require a prescription for over-the-counter medications to be reimbursed under FSAs. It also is pushing for a change to allow for a cash out at the end of the year in place of the use-it-or-lose-it system that dates back to the 1980s.

In a new white paper, two researchers say DOL should allow defined contribution plans to make electronic delivery the default mechanism for conveying disclosure notices and information to plan participants. But wouldn't such a move further alienate low-income workers from plan participation?

Seven Republican presidential hopefuls knocked President Obama’s health care reform as a gross government intrusion, but sidestepped numerous chances to hit the party’s frontrunner, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, in a face-to-face encounter in New Hampshire.

Thomson Reuters, a major vendor of business intelligence services and technology spanning multiple industries, intends to divest its health care operations.

A new report from MetLife suggests that financial advisers need to do a better job of educating their clients about the importance of managing their emotions as well as their spending and investing behavior during and close to retirement just as they did — presumably — when they were younger and saving up for their golden years.

For decades, variable annuities have had a bad rap, dissed as fee-laden, overly expensive and "not bought but sold" to unsophisticated investors by commission-hungry brokers.

According to a recent survey by Eastbridge, "product competition" was named most frequently as an obstacle voluntary and worksite executives' businesses will face over the next few years. Forty percent of the executives deemed this a top issue.

The editors at EBN have compiled a list of summer reads for the benefits and HR professional. While lounging by the pool, learn more about pressing HR topics of the day. Keep abreast of health care, retirement, and management issues with the following books.