Defined Contribution Plans

Two plaintiffs in a class action suit against third-party administrator Vantage Benefits and custodian Matrix Trust company have voluntarily dismissed without prejudice their lawsuit against the latter. The two plaintiffs, who are Texas A&M University retirees, voluntarily dismissed their... READ MORE

New research published by the National Tax-Deferred Savings Association (NTSA) confirms that there is a connection between the number of options – and advisors – available to employees in public education 403(b) plans and participation and contribution rates in those plans. Those findings are... READ MORE

In the Fourth Quarter 2018 Washington Update, American Retirement Association Director of Technical Education Robert Kaplan provided an overview of recent executive, regulatory and legislative developments affecting retirement plans. MEPs Kaplan highlighted the attention President Trump’s Aug. 31... READ MORE

“Unintended consequences” are generally a bad thing. But not always. The 401(k), for example. We have just celebrated the birthday of the 401(k) – the anniversary of the day on which the Revenue Act of 1978 – which included a provision that became Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Sec. 401(k) – was... READ MORE

Much is said about the need to increase retirement savings and access to plans, but a recent report on savings says that there is some good news about retirement savings.   In its annual savings trends report, Ascensus includes data on retirement savings in the results, and it notes that there are... READ MORE

At a recent event in Washington, SEC Commissioner Kara Stein provided her take on retirement readiness in the United States and what she thinks can be done to improve it. In a conversation with the Brookings Institution,Stein painted a sobering picture. “Although everyone’s ideal retirement might... READ MORE

Employers have always been competing to hire the best. And employers use various tools to attract and retain them. One of the most important, argue recent blogs, is the 401(k). “Offering a high-quality 401(k) plan is an essential tool to add to your HR toolbox,” writes Roger Lee in “How 401(k)s... READ MORE

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should — a premise at the heart of an Oct. 24 session at the 2018 ASPPA Annual Conference that argued for caution in plan design changes, including student loan assistance programs.  Plan designs can cause difficulties for administrators, employers and third... READ MORE

Compliance can be a challenge for any employee benefit plan. But throw in additional factors and it can be even more complex. In an Oct. 24 session at ASPPA’s Annual Conference, Susan Diehl, President of PenServ Plan Services, Inc., looked at just such complications: status as church, governmental... READ MORE