News Archive

New reports indicate that retirement assets and investment options are growing, and that Americans are feeling optimistic and yet also overwhelmed about finances. Retirement Assets Grow Since the end of last year, total U.S. retirement assets were up 7.4%, reaching $29.1 trillion at the end of... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) on June 26  proposed a rule that would make a variety of clarifications, corrections and improvements to four of its regulations. The proposed rule is based on the PBGC’s ongoing efforts to review the effectiveness and clarity of its rules and input... READ MORE

ASPPA and PenChecks Trust Company of America are pleased to announce the opening of applications for the QKA Scholarship Program for ASPPA’s Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) credential program. Launched in 2014, the PenChecks Trust ASPPA QKA Scholarship will again be offered this year to... READ MORE

Making it possible for participants to take a loan from their retirement accounts is a common plan feature. But it also is not unusual for mistakes to be made concerning those loans. A recent article, as well as the IRS, offer some suggestions regarding how to identify and fix them, as well as... READ MORE

President Trump on June 21 named seven new members to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s (PBGC) Advisory Committee. The PBGC Advisory Committee is a body appointed by the president that represents the interests of labor, employers and the public. Its duties under ERISA include providing... READ MORE

The July 31, 2019 deadline for most employee benefits plans that must file the Form 5500 for reporting about 2018 is fast approaching. So the June 20 ASPPA Webcast, “Form 5500 Update,” was a well-timed reminder regarding changes that affect the form and its use and filing. Presenter Stephen Forbes... READ MORE

A recent headline screamed that 401(k) savings rates have “stagnated” – but that’s missing the point. “Stagnated” in this case apparently means that the average savings rate in 2018 — both employee and employer contributions — was 10.6%, roughly the same as the 10.4% rate reported in the survey in... READ MORE

The House Ways & Means Committee has voted to extend a vast array of individual and corporate tax provisions, including special disaster-related rules for use of retirement funds. Disaster Relief Assistance The Committee late June 20 approved the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act... READ MORE

Compliance is serious business and audits of an employee benefit program are no joke. But the mere fact that one is scheduled need not spell imminent doom. As a recent blog entry points out, there are steps one can take to be ready — and, in the process, better ensure that the plan is in compliance... READ MORE