Benefit plan design

Under new final regulations, which take effect Jan. 1, 2016, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation substantially reduced the reporting requirements for pension plan administrators, sponsors and contributing employers.

Commentary: With so many moving parts and delays, it’s been understandingly difficult for employers to figure out exactly what their responsibilities are when it comes to the Affordable Care Act. But when it comes to healthcare reform, what you don’t know really can hurt you.

Employees’ financial circumstances are unique, and an employer’s retirement plan must prepare to meet those different needs. Here are five questions that employers and their advisers must have strong answers to in order to help employees save for the future.

Commentary: The rapidly evolving regulatory environment has increased benefit and tax complexities for most employees, making the open enrollment decisions more confusing and stressful than ever.

MassMutual develops an integrated benefits exchange combining retirement savings, healthcare and virtually all other kinds of benefits in a unified, cloud-based system.

In a world where remote work and contract-based employment is becoming a well-accepted norm, employers are facing challenges integrating their benefits, payroll and HR systems to manage the diverse workforce.

Commentary: When gas prices rise at the pump, consumers change their driving habits. They ride more strategically, putting off unnecessary outings and carefully planning out trips. Yet when health care prices rise and Americans must dig deeper into their own pockets, they put their own health at risk instead of becoming savvier consumers. …

The Supreme Court heard arguments in Montanile v. Board of Trustees of the National Elevator Industry Health Benefit Plan and will determine if, under ERISA, a reimbursement to an employee benefit plan can be recovered if the beneficiary has already spent the funds he or she recovered from a third party.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in Montanile v. Board of Trustees of the National Elevator Industry Health Benefit Plan and will determine if, under ERISA, a reimbursement to an employee benefit plan can be recovered if the beneficiary has already spent the funds he or she recovered from a third party.

Commentary: Executives are starting to acknowledge that engagement alone won’t drive long-term results.

The Supreme Court of the United States Friday agreed to hear another challenge to the ACA's birth control mandate. It’s the fourth time the Affordable Care Act will be considered by the Supreme Court and follows the controversial ruling in last year’s closely watched Hobby Lobby case.

Commentary: It may ultimately be a greater risk to remain fully insured and continue treating annual health care spend as an expense rather than an investment.

To date, adoption of private benefit exchanges by employers has been modest, but Holley Maher, partner at St. Louis-area brokerage MRCT, sees them as a highly relevant solution. And, despite issues Healthcare.gov has caused for brokers and consumers alike, the site is changing the health care landscape, says Maher, whose company operates its Smart Benefits Marketplace using bswift technology.

Commentary: If plan fees are a potential liability, the logic is sound that the least amount of fees paid reduces that liability. But, EBA retirement columnist John Ludwig asks, does it really?

As employers face growing challenges trying to balance employees’ well-being with containing benefits-related company costs, many are seeking guidance on how to manage the administrative and compliance requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, passed Wednesday by the House of Representatives, is causing concern in retirement circles after a pension provision was added that raises the amount of money employers must pay to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. for pension insurance.

Several retirement industry experts met on Capitol Hill Wednesday in a continued push to encourage better access to retirement plans for small businesses, championing bipartisan reforms to multiple-employer plans.

ADP has agreed to drop its defamation lawsuit against Zenefits after a months-long dispute fought in the public eye. What does the Zenefits win mean for established industry stakeholders and the benefit startups that threaten their way of business?

Employers can play an influential role in shaping their benefit design so that it encourages employees to look at high-value providers and use tools that help make the health care decision-making process more transparent.

The technology company launches a new service for employers, Castlight Action, designed to help steer employees to the right health care at the right time.