Author | Bonnie Treichel Defined benefit (DB) plans have long benefited from the alpha and broader diversification associated with “alternative” investments such as private equity and real estate (and more recently cryptocurrencies). However, defined contribution (DC) plans have historically been…
Author | Bonnie Treichel The Department of Labor (DOL) recently updated its Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP). The updates include a new and more streamlined self-correction component (SCC), which aims to make the VFCP more efficient and user-friendly for plan…
Author | Bonnie Treichel The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) has just published its 67th annual survey of profit-sharing and 401(k) plans. It is the longest-running and most widely cited survey of employer plan trends and practices. The PSCA…
Author | Bonnie Treichel As we kick off the new year, Washington is bustling with activity before the change in administration. The Department of Labor (DOL) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have just released proposed regulations, sub-regulatory guidance, and…
Author | Bonnie Treichel The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Section 402(a) outlines the essential requirements for the establishment and maintenance of employee benefit plans, including the requirement to identify a person or entity who will be responsible for…
Author | Bonnie Treichel Among the many required disclosures of retirement plans, there are two regarding fees. The Department of Labor (DOL) issued regulations for fee disclosures to ensure that there is transparency for plan fiduciaries and participants regarding retirement…
Author | Bonnie Treichel In September 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued “new” guidance for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, recordkeepers, and plan participants on best practices for maintaining cybersecurity, including tips on how to protect the retirement benefits of…
Author | Bonnie Treichel Roughly a year ago, a pair of attorneys located in Pasadena, California launched the first of what would become a series of lawsuits targeting the use of plan forfeitures to offset employer contributions as a breach…
Author | Bonnie Treichel SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) has dozens of optional provisions. One of those provisions permits employers with a 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), or SIMPLE IRA plan to provide matching contributions based on student loan…
Author | Bonnie Treichel Plan sponsors have long been on notice that they have a responsibility to ensure that the services provided to their retirement plan – and the fees paid for those services – are reasonable. Fee disclosure regulations under Section…
