On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, an omnibus bill that includes the “SECURE 2.0” legislation, referred to as such because it builds on the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019. Key SECURE 2.0 provisions include: Expanding automatic enrollment in 401(k) and 403(b)…
On March 29, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 with a bipartisan vote of 414-5. The act is often referred to as “SECURE 2.0” because it builds on the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019. Key SECURE 2.0 proposals include:…
Many Employee Contribution Limits Remain Unchanged The IRS has announced the cost-of-living adjustments for 2021 that affect amounts employees can contribute to 401(k) plans and IRAs. The following amounts remain unchanged for 2021: The employee contribution limit for 401(k) plans will remain $19,500. The catch-up contribution limit for employees aged 50 and over also remains unchanged at $6,500.…
Although not required by law, many 401(k) plans offer a loan provision as a way for plan participants to access money prior to retirement. The thinking is that more employees will contribute to the plan if they know they can tap into their savings should they incur an unexpected expense while working; conversely, if employees…
If you think financial wellness programs are a fad, think again. The industry consensus is that financial wellness not only produces results for employees, but it positively influences company bottom lines. That’s good news for a number of reasons, especially for the juggernaut of financial stress in the workplace during these uncertain and unprecedented times.…
On May 21, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule that will allow plan administrators to post retirement plan disclosures online or deliver them to employees by e-mail, as a default, to comply with their statutory duty to furnish documents under ERISA. This new safe harbor permits the following two optional methods for…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. This $2 trillion emergency relief package represents a bipartisan effort to assist both individuals and businesses in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and accompanying economic crisis. The CARES Act provisions for retirement plan relief for individuals under federal tax…
Simply stated, benchmarking is the process of reviewing and evaluating your company retirement plan. It involves taking a look at what you are offering your employees today and deciding if it’s appropriate or needs some updating. There are four main areas to focus on when assessing your retirement plan: …
Cyber-crime is on the rise worldwide. As a result, growing numbers of organizations are taking critical steps to protect their valuable electronic data from hackers and other cyber criminals — a process known as cybersecurity. It’s serious business, and a trend retirement plan sponsors and committees should pay attention to. In 2015, IBM’s chair, president…
Locating missing plan participants can be a headache for any employer, but simply ignoring them is not an effective solution. Regulatory agencies in previous years have published guidance on this topic relating to missing “retired” employees. With the increase in the number of “pre-retired” missing plan participants, governmental bodies are now taking additional measures to…
