Education and Career Development

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

A new report from the Federal Reserve finds that while retirement plan participation remained relatively flat over the past three years, the median and average value of those retirement plan accounts rose “substantially.”The 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) noted that the conditional median... READ MORE

Any requests for employee plan determination letters from the IRS must be accompanied by Form 8717, and requests for opinion or advisory letters must include new Form 8717-A. But be sure you use the latest version of Form 8717, now called the User Fee for Employee Plan Determination Letter Request... READ MORE

Pensions were not on my mind in 1974, certainly not on Labor Day of that year. While I was pondering my new college textbooks, President Gerald Ford, less than a month in that role, signed into law the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 — better known to most of us as ERISA. Little did... 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

Keeping with the theme “Raising the Bar,” we hope you will find that the 2014 ASPPA Annual Conference educational offerings will prove to exceed expectations in content, delivery and selection. Content for the 2014 ASPPA Annual conference has been programmed using the results of the voting tool... READ MORE

We’re living longer than ever. But no one told the economy that, so for most of us saving enough to cover our expenses late in life after we’ve retired takes planning and good choices. Recent pieces from The Wall Street Journal and the Brookings Institution highlight expanded options but counsel... READ MORE

While every pension plan has its own unique set of circumstances, a new analysis by the BNY Mellon Investment Strategy and Solutions Group (ISSG), finds that financial services, energy and consumer staples have the best funded defined benefit plans. Financial services firms, which had an average... READ MORE

This year’s ASPPA Annual Conference features a new opportunity for business leaders to network, discuss best practices and meet with peers. We’ve just added a reception for business leaders to the conference program, providing an event at which you can interact with others who share your interests... READ MORE