Mercer: DB plans funded status saw Oct. gains
The funded status for pension plans continued to move upward for the second straight month, according to data released by Mercer.
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Benefits Think Boehner seeking repeal on health care reform ‘monstrosity’
Soon-to-be House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said today that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was a "monstrosity," and that he and his newly empowered Republican colleagues would seek to "replace it with commonsense reforms that will bring down the cost of health care in America."
New DOL 401(k) fee disclosure to include indirect providers
The Department of Labors new 401(k) fee disclosure requirements that will take effect Jan. 1, 2012 go far beyond disclosing mutual fund expense ratios to cover every nook and cranny of expenses in plans, right down to indirect service providers, speakers said on Monday at the FundForum USA 2010 conference.
Benefits Think Election day could be benefits game-changer, expert speculates
Should Republicans gain a majority in the House and/or the Senate, the long-known opponents to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act could "bar the Department of Health and Human Services from writing the necessary regulations to implement health care reform, as well as "bar appropriations of the necessary funds," says one health care expert.
IRS: Retirement plan contribution limits remain in place
The elective deferral (contribution) limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), or 457(b) plans, and the federal governments Thrift Savings Plan, remains unchanged at $16,500 for tax year 2011, announced the Internal Revenue Service.
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WebCPA Staff
Benefits Think Benefits Forum & Expo calls for 2011 speaker proposals
Employee Benefit News now is accepting speaker proposals for its 2011 Benefits Forum & Expo, to be held Sept. 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas. Get more information on how to get your session considered for next years program. Give us your A game, and well give you a spot on the agenda in Big D.
Benefits Think When will we say enough is enough to obesity, diabetes?
Recent news from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that by 2050 one in three Americans will have diabetes. As if that werent horrifying enough, nine out of 10 of the new cases will be linked to obesity.
Benefits Think Towers Watsons Glickstein breaks down new cash balance regs
Join me at the listening post for a special Daily Diversion podcast as Towers Watson senior consultant Alan Glickstein discusses the newest regulations regarding cash balance pension plans and what they rules mean for you.
Benefits Think Would we (should we) riot over raising the retirement age?
You likely saw/heard/read the news reports coming from France, as infuriated workers burned cars and blocked streets in protest of a government to raise the nations retirement age from 60 to 62.
Benefits Think Blogger says retirement options are work indefinitely, live poor or die
A recent blog post on the Mother Jones website put in the starkest terms Ive ever seen the reality of the retirement crisis — work indefinitely, live poor or die.
Benefits Think Wellness mega-trends: On point or overstated?
Im always wary of something being called a mega-trend, so when I saw 7 Emerging Mega-Trends That Will Change Wellness Communication Forever, I sighed heavily, but clicked to read it anyway.
Benefits Think Regulators clarify grandfathered status is not all or nothing proposition
For all that employers have to be concerned about when it comes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the fear that changing one of their plans means losing grandfathered status for all plans is not one of them, Health, Labor and Treasury Department regulators clarified last week.
Benefits Think High-cost care doesnt equal high quality, NCQA concludes
The annual State of Health Care Quality report from the National Committee for Quality Assurance reveals that plans that let members glut on physicians visits, tests and inpatient care, totaling thousands of dollars, arent necessarily the best in terms of quality.
Benefits Think Golden Arches gets golden ticket from Obama administration
As employers work to comply with the various components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Obama has given a pass to McDonalds, other employers and several health insurers from complying with the coverage standards required under reform, the New York Times reports.
Benefits Think Clearing the air on posting, propaganda and PPACA
Although the blog isnt personally mine, the views presented in DD posts are mine alone (except for guest bloggers, obviously), and shouldnt be mistaken for those of the EBN staff or EBN's parent company.
Benefits Think Your companys Negative Nellies are costing you
Every company has a few Negative Nellies or Nelsons who, no matter what you do, would never be happy. Generally, we sigh at these full-time frowners and let their complaints roll off our backs. However, research from Gallup estimates that these workers and the disengagement and decreased morale they can foster actually are costing your company money.
Benefits Think 5 mistakes that will turn golden years to tin
To help you make the case for 401(k) enrollment and keep plan participants from falling flat due to financial tripwires, the folks at FinancialPlanners.net offer their list of five common mistakes that people make when retirement planning that can greatly affect their golden years. Copy, paste, print and distribute as you will.
Benefits Think PPACAs half-birthday doesnt offer much to celebrate
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act marked its half-birthday a couple weeks ago on Sept. 23, and the occasion was both absurd and awful. To my eye, six months after President Obama signed the landmark health care reform legislation, there is nothing to celebrate — employers are unhappy, employees are unhappy and no one knows what they're doing.
Benefits Think Say what? More quotable gems from 2010 Benefits Forum & Expo
The 2010 Benefits Forum & Expo, presented by Employee Benefit News, featured no shortage of quotable gems. Here are just a few that were uttered over the three-day event Sept. 26-28 in Boca Raton, Fla.