Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
From 401(k) plans to vacation policy, this topic gives HR and Compensation professionals specific strategies on how to handle benefit plans. Articles also provide guidance to brokers, advisers and consultants.
If you’re not familiar with pooled employer plans (PEPs), it’s probably because they’re not yet available. But they’re part of existing proposed legislation, so it would be useful for employers to be familiar with the concept.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) took steps toward allowing automatic small-balance 401(k) plan transfers to a new employer’s plan in a job change by proposing to exempt a vendor’s auto-portability program from some prohibited-transaction restrictions.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can be used to save for both current and future health expenses, demonstrating their value as a tool for physical and financial health today and in retirement. In addition to the triple tax advantage and investment capability that was discussed in yesterday’s article, here are reasons three and four to consider […]
Despite the recent increase in discussion around the need to save wisely for retirement, many Americans underestimate the healthcare costs they will face when they retire. In a study conducted by HSA Bank, 67% of consumers believe they will need less than $100,000 for healthcare expenses in retirement, and 82% believe they will need less […]
For 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is raising most of the annual threshold and benefit levels that apply to retirement plans, the IRS announced on November 1.
The Strengthening Financial Security Through Short-Term Savings Accounts Act of 2018 is a bill introduced in the Senate in July 2018 (S. 3218). It proposes, in short, to “allow employers to offer short-term savings accounts with automatic contribution arrangements for financial emergencies.”[i] This bill has only been introduced; it has been referred to committee, and […]
A federal appeals court upheld an earlier ruling that 401(k) plan and individual retirement account (IRA) assets acquired by an ex-spouse in a divorce proceeding aren’t retirement funds protected by federal law from bankruptcy creditors. The case is Brian A. Lerbakken, Debtor-Appellant v. Sieloff and Associates, No. 18-6018 (Bankr. 8th Cir., Oct. 16, 2018).
The U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) on October 19 announced that its premiums for single-employer defined benefit (DB) retirement plans will increase to $80 in 2019, from $74 in 2018. This is the last of the scheduled annual flat per-participant increases in single-employer DB plan premiums brought about by the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on October 22 released its proposal easing restrictions on open multiple-employer plans (MEPs) to encourage more small businesses to offer defined contribution (DC) retirement plans to their employees.
Federal regulators have proposed allowing employers to sponsor health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) for their employees to go purchase health coverage on the individual market—a practice that is currently prohibited under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).