John Iekel

Ann Y. Orr has been named to serve as the Acting Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).  Orr has been named to fill the office that had been held by Gordon Hartogensis. His five-year term as PBGC Director ended on April 30, 2024.  Orr is not new at the PBGC. She served as... READ MORE

The effects of the SECURE 2.0 Act cover the gamut from profound and far-reaching to the more mundane yet still important—and that includes reporting about certain retirement plans and saving arrangements.  In FS-2024-18, a fact sheet issued May 2, the IRS reminds businesses that beginning with tax... READ MORE

It’s proverbial that with age comes wisdom. Recent research doesn’t vouch for that, but does suggest that at the very least, confidence in a financially secure retirement is more likely among generations that have been around longer.  Confidence Goes Boom  “Over the past several years, there has... READ MORE

CalSavers, one of the first state-run programs that provides retirement plan coverage for private-sector employees whose employers do not, continues to grow—especially in assets.  As one of the longest-lived such programs, CalSavers provides a useful snapshot regarding how such plans function and... READ MORE

Editors’ Note: This is part IV of a four-part series about the importance of aligning the retirement benefits an employer offers with employees’ interests and needs. Part I is here; Part II is here; Part III is here.     Of course, an employer does not want to waste time and resources providing... READ MORE

Editors’ Note: This is Part III of a four-part series about the importance of aligning the retirement benefits an employer offers with those employees’ interests and needs. Part I is here; Part II is here.    Increasing employees’ financial literacy figures into the effort to better align... READ MORE

Editors’ Note: This is part II of a four-part series about the importance of aligning the retirement benefits an employer offers with those employees’ interests and needs. Part I is here.  Employers can take a variety of steps to better align their benefits with employees’ needs and interest as... READ MORE

Editor’s Note: This is part I of a four-part series about the importance of aligning the retirement benefits an employer offers with those employees’ interests and needs.  You offer a retirement plan, but participation is not what you had expected.  Why? What’s not to love? After all, retirement... READ MORE

The Green Mountain State and the Centennial State are going to partner in establishing VT Saves, the state-run program that will provide retirement plan coverage for private-sector employees in Vermont whose employers do not.  On June 1, 2023, Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed into law a measure creating... READ MORE