John Iekel

We are on the cusp of a new year, and there are some important developments to keep in mind as 2021 arrives.  Required Minimum Distributions The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019, enacted on Dec. 20, 2019, raised the age for required minimum distributions... READ MORE

The year 2020 provided unique circumstances. Among them are employers that are not paying bonuses this year but whose employees nonetheless have been logging overtime. A recent blog entry examines whether such a scenario has consequences for the employer’s retirement plan.  In “Overtime Is Up... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is seeking the approval of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of modifications to the information collection related to 2021 premium filings.  The PBGC intends to modify the 2021 premium filing to require certain plans that transferred assets... READ MORE

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of the Office of Management and Budget has outlined the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s (PBGC) fall 2020 regulatory agenda, and the status of the rules that are part of it.  Proposed Rules The following rules are in the proposed stage: ... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has issued its interest rate assumptions for the first quarter of 2021.  On Dec. 14 the PBGC issued a final rule that amends its regulation on Allocation of Assets in Single-Employer Plans to prescribe interest assumptions under the asset allocation... READ MORE

The IRS on Dec. 9 issued guidance that addresses certain provisions of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE) Act Provisions that increase the automatic enrollment cap percentage and affect safe harbor plans, including safe harbor 401(k) plans and certain 403... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) reports that the financial condition of its single-employer program continues to improve. And while it still projects that the multiemployer program is on the road to insolvency, it projects that will occur one year later than it had been expecting... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) on Dec. 7 published a final rule amending its valuation regulation by substituting a new table for selecting the retirement rate category. The new table is used to determine the applicable expected retirement age for participants in single-employer... READ MORE

There is never a bad time to do the right thing, and a Dec. 2 ASPPA webcast provided a reminder of why that is important for a retirement professional to remember and apply.  In “Ethics—It Is Never the Wrong Time to Do the Right Thing,” American Retirement Association Director of Technical... READ MORE