John Iekel

The way to move forward in promoting retirement saving is not to dismantle the 401(k) and employer-based system — far from it. Rather, we should continue to refine the system and expand coverage and participation. That was the message conveyed by Mark Iwry, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the... READ MORE

They’ve been a while in coming, but they are here: the IRS on Sept. 26 issued final regulations on electronic filing of Form 8955-SSA and Form 5500-EZ in certain circumstances. The IRS had issued the regs in proposed form in August 2013.Under the final rule, contained in TD 9695, tax return filers... READ MORE

Oregon State Treasurer Ted Wheeler has presented the legislature with recommendations for increasing Oregonians’ retirement savings, access to a retirement plan and ability to enroll in one. The recommendations are the work of the state’s Retirement Security Task Force, which the legislature... READ MORE

Johnson & Johnson is joining the ranks of the employers that have reduced pension benefits for new employees. The company, ranked 39th among the Fortune 500, made the announcement in an internal memo, according to The Wall Street Journal. The new policy, a cost-cutting measure, goes into effect... READ MORE

Notice 2014-53, the recent guidance from the IRS on pension funding stabilization under the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (HATFA), contains a provision that is in accordance with a request by the ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries.On Aug. 13, ASPPA and ACOPA sent a comment letter... READ MORE

Notice 2014-53, the recent guidance from the IRS on pension funding stabilization under the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (HATFA), contains a provision that is in accordance with a request by ASPPA’s College of Pension Actuaries. On Aug. 13, the ASPPA and ACOPA sent a comment... READ MORE

The IRS has released a draft of the Form 5500-EZ to be used for 2014 reporting. It is used by one-participant retirement plans not subject to ERISA Section 104 reporting requirements and that are not eligible or choose not to file Form 5500-SF. The draft is only for information purposes — it... READ MORE

The gender gap in retirement savings is closing. In fact, it could be on course to reverse the long-standing predominance of men's retirement savings rates, says a recent study by MassMutual. The study says that the overall retirement savings rate is growing fast for American women; the 2014 rate... READ MORE

Treasury’s annual blueprint for the guidance it expects to issue in the coming year — the Priority Guidance Plan — is out for 2014-2015, and retirement plans are on its agenda. As is usually the case, it is an ambitious plan. Of course, the road to certain places is paved with good intentions, and... READ MORE