Validation Institute recognizes advisers who meet ERISA fiduciary standards
The Validation Institute has put its stamp of approval on a dozen benefit advisers with a fee-based model that avoids conflicts of interest.
ERISA
Labor Department backs fiduciaries in 401(k) forfeiture lawsuits
The Labor Department is siding with plan sponsors in a growing wave of ERISA lawsuits challenging how forfeited 401(k) funds are used.
Is employer health insurance at risk? A veteran benefits lobbyist weighs in
As Washington revisits the tax-favored status of health benefits, a longtime policy expert explains why replacing group plans could cost far more.
TPA court ruling spotlights fiduciary violation
Benefit brokers and advisers could face legal scrutiny if they fail to disclose indirect compensation and are advised to vet TPA contracts more carefully.
Retirement plan analysis suggests rampant fiduciary breaches
Nearly 84% of U.S.-based plans have an ERISA violation, spotlighting a need for independent benchmarking audits.
Benefits Think Proposed rule change threatens mental health care access
Amending MHPAEA regulatory standards could lower the quality and safety bar for providers to join insurance networks, as well as undermine patient-focused treatment.
Melissa Bartlett
The ERISA Industry Committee
Benefits Think Evolving assaults on ERISA preemption threaten benefits uniformity
Laws such as Florida's Prescription Drug Reform Act could unravel many of the invaluable protections ERISA has provided.
Dillon Clair
The ERISA Industry Committee
Retirement accounts at ‘serious risk’ as COVID-19 spurs bankruptcies
To protect client nest eggs, advisors must know which savings vehicles are protected — and they’re not all created equal.
ERISA savings plans: A cautionary tale for clients
If the court ends up making this choice, intended family members may lose out — all for want of filling out a one-page form.
Buyout or pension? The heavyweight bout of retirement decisions
Buyout amounts are high right now, but there are many other factors to consider when guiding employees to the right choice.
Benefits Think Severance plans, Part 1: How savvy employers can stay ERISA compliant
When designing and administering a severance arrangement, employers can take definitive steps to ensure that the arrangement is treated as an ERISA plan.
Jason Rothman
Findley
As states roll out retirement plans, legal challenges loom
To the ire of some advisors and trade groups, states are getting in the retirement offerings space. Lawsuits are sure to follow.
Benefits Think Avoiding red flags: How to lower your plan’s audit risk
Plan administrators who make foolish mistakes are begging for an invasive audit from the IRS or Department of Labor. Here are some common errors that will trigger your plan’s worst nightmare.
Carol Buckmann
Cohen & Buckmann PC
Benefits Think Wrong assumptions plan sponsors make
Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to a possible ERISA audit. Here are some hard truths to common mistakes sponsors have in their heads.
Carol Buckmann
Cohen & Buckmann PC
Benefits Think Wrong assumptions plan sponsors make
Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to a possible ERISA audit. Here are some hard truths to common mistakes sponsors have in their heads.
Carol Buckmann
Cohen & Buckmann PC
Audits, internal struggles vex retirement plan committees
Susan Clausen describes the DOL’s ERISA mandate for a retirement plan committee and the challenges such committees face in fulfilling their role.
Audits, internal struggles vex retirement plan committees
Susan Clausen describes the DOL’s ERISA mandate for a retirement plan committee and the challenges such committees face in fulfilling their role.
DOL increases fines, conducts fewer retirement plan audits
The Employee Benefit Security Administration is closing fewer civil investigations into 401(k) plans but it’s recovering more money from firms that improperly oversee their employee pension schemes.
DOL increases fines, conducts fewer retirement plan audits
The Employee Benefit Security Administration is closing fewer civil investigations into 401(k) plans but it’s recovering more money from firms that improperly oversee their employee pension schemes.
Benefits Think Stock plans do not substitute for an ERISA plan
A court determined that when the primary purpose of a stock ownership plan is something other than deferring income or providing retirement income, ERISA may not govern.
Patrick Begos
Robinson+Cole