John Iekel

The Illinois Supreme Court was of one mind on May 8, unanimously ruling in In re Pension Reform Litigation v. Quinn (No. 118585, May 8, 2015), that the state’s 2013 pension reform law that went into effect on June 1, 2014 violates the state constitution.Lawmakers approved the overhaul to address... READ MORE

Cyber attacks, and the threat they pose to firms that provide finance-related services and their clients, prompted the recent release by the SEC’s Division of Investment Management of some steps that can protect against them. The SEC intended the tips for financial services firms and advisors, but... READ MORE

The IRS in a recently released private letter ruling (PLR) said that transfers of surplus pension assets can be used to cover health benefits funded under a Code Section 401(h) account. The IRS issued PLR 201511044 on Dec. 19, 2014 to the company that requested it, but only recently made it public.... READ MORE

Small defined benefit plans that have received audit waivers need more frequent review, says the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Inspector General. The DOL’s IG sent Report 05-15-002-12-121, which concerns EBSA’s oversight of small plans claiming the audit waiver, to DOL Assistant Secretary for... READ MORE

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Mary Jo White confirmed March 17 that the Commission will “implement a uniform fiduciary duty for broker-dealers and investment advisors where the standard is to act in the best interest of the investor.”The statement, reported by Investment News,... READ MORE

The IRS announced on March 11 that it has updated the information package containing sample plan provisions concerning pre-approved 403(b) plans. The update is first since March 2013.The IRS has made changes to the language that concerns the following terms and topics: compensation contribution... READ MORE

Identical bills before both chambers of the Iowa legislature would end state taxation of pensions and other forms of retirement income — but only through 2020.HF 280 and SF 277 would remove from the Iowa income tax law two provisions that define income as including all forms of retirement income,... READ MORE

“Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater” is an old — perhaps worn-out — cliché, but nevertheless sometimes it’s apt. And as the Obama Administration unveils the fiduciary rule reproposal, ASPPA CEO and Executive Director Brian Graff has warned that the regulations could have serious and... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) was not arbitrary and capricious when it concluded that Kentucky Bancshares was obliged to comply with the Section 1107 of the Pension Protection Act (PPA) as well as ERISA’s standard termination requirements when it terminated its retirement plan and... READ MORE