John Iekel

Updated mortality assumptions for participants and beneficiaries in private-sector defined benefit plans have been issued by the Society of Actuaries (SOA). The updates are contained in its Mortality Improvement Scale MP-20141 Report, along with its companion document, the RP-2014 Mortality Tables... READ MORE

We hear a lot about how well Americans are saving — or not — for their retirement. In that spirit, Legg Mason Global Asset Management has unveiled EZ IRA, a payroll deduction IRA program intended to provide a way to build that savings rate. “Hopefully — and I truly believe this — this is just the... READ MORE

ASPPA’s College of Pension Actuaries (ACOPA) at an Oct. 28 luncheon during ASPPA’s Annual conference, held at National Harbor, Md., awarded its designation of Fellow, Society of Pension Actuaries (FSPA) to 14 outstanding actuaries. ACOPA bestows the FSPA designation on actuaries who have... READ MORE

It’s not often that retirement plan professionals have the chance to ask a distinguished panel for their take on sometimes thorny, sometimes complicated, sometimes nagging issues. But attendees at an "ask the experts" session on the last day of ASPPA’s Annual Conference, held in National Harbor, Md... READ MORE

Turning 40 is one of those storied moments — and not just for individuals. ERISA turned 40 this year, affording an opportunity to take stock of its impact and whether it is functioning as intended. An Oct. 28 panel discussion at the 2014 ASPPA Annual Conference, held at National Harbor, Md.... READ MORE

The finer points of administering a cash balance plan and working with equivalent benefit accrual rates were the topics of discussion at an Oct. 27 session of the 2014 ASPPA Annual Conference. Lawrence Deutsch, president of Larry Deutsch Enterprises, and Michael B. Preston of Preston Actuarial... READ MORE

Any employer, plan administrator, third party administrator, plan sponsor etc. knows how many moving parts there are to meeting reporting deadlines and complying with IRS rules and regulations. Apparently the IRS does as well, and it has updated “Retirement Plan Reporting and Disclosure... READ MORE

The IRS and Social Security Administration have issued their cost-of-living adjustments relevant to retirement benefits for 2015.IRS LimitsThe IRS on Oct. 23 announced COLAs affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2015. Some of the limits will... READ MORE

The Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (HATFA) had consequences for annual financial and actuarial information reporting under Section 4010 of ERISA and part 4010 of the PBGC regulations. To better clarify how it applies since HATFA's retroactive application for 2013 may cause a timing... READ MORE