ASPPA Net Staff

The Department of Labor (DOL) has placed 150 multi-employer pension funds in critical status, and another 85 on the list of plans it calls endangered.According to the DOL: to be in critical condition, a plan has to have so few assets that it cannot meet 65% of its future obligations; and to be... READ MORE

Deferral and savings rates in 401(k) plans improved at a stronger rate than expected in 2014, recent studies reveal.According to Cogent Reports found that almost one-third of participants increased their contributions in 2014. That’s almost 12 percentage points higher than the number who in 2013... READ MORE

The White House memo on the DOL’s proposal to redefine what constitutes a fiduciary continues to engender negative reaction. Tim Pawlenty, CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable, weighed in on Jan. 28, according to ThinkAdvisor, calling the memo “overly broad” in its condemnation of the financial... READ MORE

Your clients offer 401(k) plans, and all have 401(k) plan committees. Those committees have fiduciary responsibility, and it’s in your clients’ interest to make sure they are fulfilling their duties. They can do that through meetings of those committees and quarterly reviews, our friends at the... READ MORE

The ERISA Advisory Council has published its recommendations on facilitating lifetime plan participation.Following up on a series of meetings last year, the council outlined a series of recommendations for plan sponsors and the Department of Labor to help preserve retirement savings. Specifically,... READ MORE

A year ago, President Obama touted the voluntary MyRA in his State of the Union Address — but the White House has a lot more to say about retirement this year — and it’s a lot less voluntary.According to a White House fact sheet, the administration is touting a series of retirement tax reform... READ MORE

Reports of hacks, identity theft and more highlight the importance of making sure information about plan participants and beneficiaries is secure. In fact, it’s more than a good idea — it’s part of a fiduciary’s duty.The 401(k) HelpCenter suggests questions to ask to make sure participants’ and... READ MORE

Update (9/11/15): The CE guidelines have been updated for the 2015/16 credentialing period. You may view them here.The deadline for earning and reporting your 2013-2014 Continuing Education (CE) credits has been extended to Feb. 28, 2015.If you still need to earn CE credits for this cycle, visit... READ MORE

Forced plan cash-outs into individual retirement accounts (IRAs) could leave billions to be poorly invested for the long-term, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).The report was produced at the request of Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) of the Senate... READ MORE