Andrew Remo

Conflicts of Interest Aired at the ‘Conflicts of Interest’ Hearing

By Andrew Remo 8/11/2015

The first day of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) public hearing on its re-proposed fiduciary rule Aug. 10 veered from the informative to the absurd as the department’s rule makers heard from a broad array of stakeholders on the complex subject.Labor Secretary Thomas Perez has repeatedly promised to... READ MORE

Big Apple Looks to Close Retirement Coverage Gap

By Andrew Remo 7/20/2015

The push to create government-sponsored retirement plans to address the retirement plan coverage gap is not exclusive to governments at the federal and state levels. Now governments of individual cities are getting into the mix, with the largest U.S. city at the tip of the spear.The effort to... READ MORE

SEC, DOL Fiduciary Focus: A Potential Double Whammy?

By Andrew Remo 3/26/2015

The Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Labor are both working on fiduciary issues — but their different approaches appear to be on different schedules. On March 24, it was SEC Chair Mary Jo White’s turn to take questions from Congress regarding the commission’s plan to impose a... READ MORE

Perez to Congress: Full Steam Ahead on Fiduciary Proposal

By Andrew Remo 3/19/2015

Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez used his first appearances before the 114th Congress to deliver a full-throated defense of the DOL’s controversial effort to expand the fiduciary standard of care to financial service providers under the jurisdiction of the department.Perez appeared at two... READ MORE

Perez to Congress: Full Steam Ahead on Fiduciary Proposal

By Andrew Remo 3/19/2015

Maryland Assembly Contemplates Retirement Plan Mandate

By Andrew Remo 3/3/2015

Legislation that would require Maryland employers to adopt payroll deduction savings plans for their employees got a full bicameral at a Feb. 25 hearing in the Maryland General Assembly.Both the Maryland House Economic Matters Committee and the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee... READ MORE

Oregon Takes Another Step Toward State-Run Retirement Plan

By Andrew Remo 2/12/2015

Legislation just introduced in the Oregon State Senate brings the Beaver State a step closer to establishing a state-run retirement savings program.The legislation, backed by the Oregon Senate Majority Leader Diane Rosenbaum (D-Portland), would create an Oregon Retirement Savings Board tasked with... READ MORE

Budget Plan Would Limit Roth Conversions, ‘Stretch’ IRAs

By Andrew Remo 2/4/2015

In addition to proposals for a retirement savings cap, double-taxing contributions of those above the 28% tax bracket, and encouraging automatic enrollment, President Obama’s budget blueprint for fiscal year 2016 contains proposals that would change the tax treatment of IRAs and qualified... READ MORE

Hatch Outlines Pension Reform Plan

By Andrew Remo 1/26/2015

New Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has staked out his plans, and the committee’s agenda, for dealing with pension reform.In his speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last week, Hatch specifically highlighted key portions of that bill in his speech, pitching a new “... READ MORE

Will Obama’s ‘Bully Pulpit’ Put Americans' Retirement at Risk?

By Andrew Remo 1/16/2015

With President Obama poised to deliver his State of the Union address on Jan. 20, a powerful coalition of retirement, union and so-called consumer protection groups have again interjected themselves into the debate over retirement plans.The coalition’s website, Saveourretirement.com, intends to... READ MORE

Rep. Van Hollen’s ‘Action Plan’ Includes Financial Transaction Tax

By Andrew Remo 1/14/2015

House Budget Committee ranking member Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) unveiled a set of tax proposals Jan. 12 that are said to be designed, at least in part, to redistribute current tax breaks for the wealthy to middle-class workers.While the “action plan” includes proposals that could draw bipartisan... READ MORE

Harkin’s 'USA Retirement Funds' May Get a Second Chance

By Andrew Remo 12/29/2014

Retiring Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-IA) signature piece of retirement legislation, the USA Retirement Funds Act, has found a champion to carry it into the next Congress.Harkin, the outgoing chairman of the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions (HELP) Committee, might have been pleased to see that... READ MORE

MyRA Takes Shape, Raises New Questions

By Andrew Remo 12/23/2014

While finalizing many of the details of the MyRA program, Treasury and the Department of Labor (DOL) may have unearthed some serious new questions.These concerns stem from an information letter from the DOL to Treasury answering two key questions about the MyRA program: whether the retirement... READ MORE

Congress Creates a New Savings Account

By Andrew Remo 12/22/2014

Largely overlooked in the flurry of lame duck activity by Congress is a bill that creates a new kind of savings account for those with disabilities.Congress overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation during its lame duck session that would give states the ability to create a new tax-advantaged... READ MORE

Bipartisan SAVE Act Looks to Help Small Biz Retirement Plans

By Andrew Remo 12/18/2014

With just days to go before the end of the 113th Congress, two senior members of the House Ways & Means Committee have introduced a bipartisan comprehensive retirement bill.The Small Businesses Add Value for Employees (SAVE) Act of 2014 (H.R. 5875), sponsored by Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Dave... READ MORE

“CROmnibus” Takes on Pension Problems

By Andrew Remo 12/11/2014

Legislation working its way through Congress designed to avoid a government shutdown also contains some pension plan provisions.While the driver of the pension agreement is some significant multiemployer pension reforms, the amendment also includes provisions applicable to single-employer pension... READ MORE

Illinois Auto-IRA Bill Passes Senate, Heads to Governor’s Desk

By Andrew Remo 12/3/2014

The Illinois General Assembly has sent legislation to Gov. Pat Quinn (D) that would create the nation's first state-run automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRA program for private sector employers. The Illinois Senate on Dec. 3 approved by a 30-25 margin a version of the bill passed earlier in... READ MORE

ASPPA Responds to the Connecticut Retirement Security Board

By Andrew Remo 11/5/2014

ASPPA, NAPA and NTSA submitted a joint letter Nov. 3 to the Connecticut Retirement Security Board (CRSB) in response to the board’s request for public comment in order to help the CSRB develop and implement a state-run plan for employees of private employers. In the letter, the three sister... READ MORE

Democrats Pressure PBGC to Adopt ‘Emerging Manager’ Model

By Andrew Remo 9/29/2014

Lobbying groups representing minority investment fund managers, backed by key Democratic members of Congress, recently met with key administration officials to press the case for doing business with minority and women-owned firms.According to The Hill, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory... READ MORE

Auto-IRA Architects Size Up Landscape

By Andrew Remo 9/22/2014

Three key players in the formulation and design of the auto-IRA concept came together at a Sept. 17 policy forum in Washington, D.C. to offer perspective and an assessment of the road ahead.Two of the panelists at the 2014 Assets Learning Conference, held by the non-profit Corporation for... READ MORE

You are here

Andrew Remo

Pages

Most Popular