DE Under 3: New WIR Reporter; Nomination for New EEOC General Counsel; ODEP “Disability & the Digital Divide” Report
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - Missing Plan Participants
As explained in my last post, Things I Worry About (7), the DOL’s EBSA has a number of programs that can restore benefits to plans and participants. Those include: - Civil investigations. - Criminal investigations. -...more
The DOL’s EBSA has a number of programs that can restore benefits to plans and participants. Those include: - Civil investigations. - Criminal investigations. - Informal compliant resolutions. - Correction programs. ...more
by Becky Achten New guidance from the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) affirms that both sides—retirement plans and welfare plans—must take steps to secure participant data from cybercrime. In 2021 the...more
All qualified retirement plans are subject to a myriad of requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is charged with enforcing the...more
In the movie Casino, Robert DeNiro as Sam Rothstein wanted to take on the Nevada Gaming Board after they denied his request for his license. Andy Stone, a Teamster controlled by the Mafia and played by Alan King told him it...more
Fidelity Investments recently announced it is making a Bitcoin account available as an investment option for 401(k) plans, fueling a debate about cryptocurrencies and fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA. In what might...more
A recent release by the DOL raising concerns about plan sponsors allowing cryptocurrency investments in 401(k) plans has gotten the attention of both sides of the Congressional aisle as well as industry groups. Some of the...more
Among the many phrases of ERISA, one that is familiar to investment fiduciaries is the requirement to choose investments with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence that a prudent person who is familiar with such matters...more
While some employees and retirees have been asking to have cryptocurrencies included in their 401(k) retirement plans, federal authorities recently issued a strong and direct warning that such a plan might run afoul of...more
Some birds aren’t mean to be caged (a line from The Shawshank Redemption) and some attorneys weren’t meant to be law firm associates. 3 years working for two law firms was 3 years too long....more
On July 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued Temporary Implementing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Interim Final Rule (IFR) which the EBSA had...more
On April 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) finally issued first-ever guidance for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, record keepers and plan participants on best...more
The Employee Benefits Security Administration of the United States Department of Labor (“EBSA”) recently published guidance regarding cybersecurity best practices for recordkeepers and service providers responsible for plan...more
The United States Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) announced on March 10, 2021 that it will not enforce certain final rules put into place under President Trump related to...more
For a host of legal and practical reasons, the only feasible alternative for disposing of the accounts of missing participants in a terminating 401(k) or other defined contribution retirement plan qualified only in Puerto...more
ERISA litigation tends to spike when economic uncertainty or turmoil rises. Although many things contribute to this historically verifiable trend, it is easiest for employers to think about just two of them. First, an...more
Updated Safe Harbor Special Tax Notice (402(f) notice) & Lifetime Income Illustrations – Five Key Points for Plan Fiduciaries - The IRS has updated its safe harbor Special Tax Notice required to be provided to plan...more
In the News. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to create a new category of “seasoned” qualified mortgages; the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of...more
While employers and workers alike have understandably been extremely focused on coronavirus–related matters, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently (June 23, 2020) decided that employee benefit plan fiduciaries need to...more
BSA Notice 2020-01 from the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) announced important relief for plan sponsors in connection with authorizing plan loans and distributions...more
On February 21, 2019 attorneys for Andrew Wong, a participant in the T-Mobile USA Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan & Trust, filed a class action complaint in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts against FMR LLC,...more
We Didn't Start The 401(k) Fire; It's Always Been Burning. The problems have always been there. I live in Long Island, so I think by a local law, I have to be a Billy Joel fan. He's not up there with Aerosmith, The...more
The Struggles Of Being A Retirement Plan Provider And How To Manage It. What you have to deal with. Any good retirement plan financial advisor will tell you that relationships in the retirement plan business mean...more
The DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released a report assessing the quality of audit work performed by certified public accountants with respect to financial statement audits of retirement and welfare...more
As we do every month, we have provided below a comprehensive alert that highlights the most important employee benefits legal developments during May of 2015. We hope that our “Monthly Benefits Updates” continue to be a...more