ASPPA’s Annual Conference to Provide Washington Update

The 2014 ASPPA Annual Conference, scheduled for Oct. 26-29, is only three months away. This year’s program is filled with topics that should not be missed. Once again, Sunday’s opening general session will include a Washington Update on legislative and regulatory developments presented by ASPPA’s government affairs experts, Brian Graff, Executive Director; Craig Hoffman, General Counsel; and Judy Miller, Director of Retirement Policy (as well as ACOPA’s Executive Director).

As we look ahead, the Congressional agenda is loaded with issues of importance to ASPPA members. At the top of the list is the question, “How and when will comprehensive tax reform move forward?” Efforts to rewrite the tax code this year have been stymied as the focus in Washington has turned to the 2014 mid-term election cycle. Nevertheless, there continues to be great interest, as demonstrated by the recent Senate Finance Committee hearing on the subject. Many expect this to be a front-and-center issue in January when the new Congress is seated.  ASPPA’s Capitol Hill experts will explain how retirement plans may be impacted by these and other legislative proposals during the update session.

On the regulatory side, the IRS and DOL also remain very active. The DOL continues its work on a new “guide” that will be required to be distributed as part of a service provider’s 408(b)(2) disclosure obligations while the IRS has released new guidance on rollovers, delinquent Form 5500 filings and Qualifying Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs). Other regulatory initiatives expected in the near future include new rules for interim amendments from the IRS and proposed regulations on participant benefit statements from the DOL. The participant benefit statement regulations will be significant because they will supersede the good faith standards that have applied for the last seven years. These proposals, and what to expect in the coming year, will also be covered in the Washington Update general session. 

Without question, the 2014 ASPPA Annual Conference is a “must attend” event for those who work with retirement plans.