401(k) Archives - Page 4 of 16 - EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG

Full Disclosure Required: Lifetime Income Estimates on Defined Contribution Plan Benefit Statements

by Lisa Loesel, Joseph K. Urwitz and McDermott Will & Emery | Feb 9, 2021 | Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans

The Department of Labor provided interim guidance on the new required annual lifetime income disclosures to participants in defined contribution plans, including plans covered under section 401(k) or 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, profit-sharing plans and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). The Lifetime Income Disclosure Rule is currently scheduled to go into effect on September 18, 2021. Given this timeframe, sponsors of defined contribution plans should start planning for these new disclosure requirements now.

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Virus Stokes Telemedicine, Mental Health Benefits’ Popularity

by Jacob Mattinson | Jan 19, 2021 | Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans

The COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged 2020 spurred workers to take advantage of telemedicine and mental health benefits more frequently, and demand for those services isn’t expected to wane in the near future, experts say.

A recent article in Law360 examined three ways the pandemic had an impact on employee benefits over the past year, with McDermott partner Jacob Mattinson weighing in.

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Securing Retirement: Additional SECURE Act and Miners Act Guidance for Retirement Plans

by Jeffrey Holdvogt and Diane Morgenthaler | Dec 9, 2020 | Employee Benefits, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Employment, Executive Compensation, Retirement Plans

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued practical and helpful guidance in a question-and-answer format for tax-qualified retirement plans and for an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA), regarding the legislative changes under the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the “SECURE Act”) and the Bipartisan American Miners Act of 2019 (the “Miners Act”).

Teal Trujillo, an incoming associate in our Chicago office, also contributed to this On the Subject.

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IRS Announces 2021 Employee Benefit Plan Limits

by Jeffrey Holdvogt, Jacob Mattinson and Brian Tiemann | Oct 28, 2020 | Employee Benefits, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced the cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for various employer-sponsored retirement and welfare plans for 2021. Nearly all of the dollar limits currently in effect for 2020 will remain the same, with only a few amounts experiencing minor increases for 2021.

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After Layoffs, Employers Might Owe Unvested 401(k) Money

by Jeffrey Holdvogt | Sep 29, 2020 | Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans

With mass layoffs commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic, employers asked the Internal Revenue Service for advice on how to deal with the partial termination rule relating to employer contributions to their employees’ 401(k) workplace retirement accounts.

It’s an obscure issue, but it’s a big deal for the employees that it affects: It could mean thousands of dollars more credited to an employee’s 401(k) account. It’s also important that employers get it right. In a recent article by Forbes, McDermott Will & Emery partner Jeff Holdvogt advises that IRS auditors can catch this issue looking back at prior years.

“This is a complicated rule, and it’s not top of mind, so we could absolutely see employers realizing, ‘Hey, it turns out we incurred a partial termination. We have to go back and provide additional vesting,’” Holdvogt says.

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Last Chance for Enhanced COVID-19-Related 401(k) Loans: September 22

by Jeffrey Holdvogt | Sep 18, 2020 | Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by US Congress in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, permits a “qualified individual” to increase the amount they can borrow from a 401(k). Such individuals may borrow 100% of their account balance up to $100,000 (less any outstanding loans).

The deadline for taking enhanced loans is September 22. In a recent article by Forbes, McDermott Will & Emery partner Jeff Holdvogt highlights some of the tax implications individuals should consider.

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Using Paid Time Off Funds to Provide Student Loan Relief to Employees

by Jeffrey Holdvogt | Sep 17, 2020 | Employee Benefits, Employment, Retirement Plans

What do unused paid-time-off (PTO) days, student loan debt and the coronavirus have in common? An opportunity for employers to provide financial relief to employees who are increasingly putting off vacations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent article by the Society of Human Resource Management, Jeff Holdvogt, a partner in McDermott’s Chicago office, explained that more employees, particularly Millennials, are telling employers that benefits to help pay off student loan debt would go a long way to attracting and retaining them.

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It’s Back to Basics for Employee Benefits Priorities

by Lisa Loesel | Sep 3, 2020 | Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans

Prior to the pandemic, ultra-low unemployment at roughly 3.3% put a spotlight on ‘lifestyle benefits’ for employees such as gym memberships and pet sitting. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, the focus immediately shifted for many plan sponsors.

Some employers are now offering high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) paired with health savings accounts (HSAs). Scaling back on company matches to 401(k) plans and contributions to profit sharing accounts are two other areas where employers are trying to save money, said Lisa Loesel, an employee benefits partner at McDermott.

“Depending on what kind of plan they have and the terms set forth for them, we have seen plan sponsors delay the timing of their contributions, change the amount, move from a fixed to a discretionary amount or even cut their contributions indefinitely,” Loesel said in a recent article for PLANSPONSOR Magazine.

Among sponsors offering a pension plan, more are de-risking their plans. “The market happens to be favorable for doing this right now,” she says.

Illinois Federal Court Dismisses ERISA Claims Against 401(k) Fiduciaries

by Richard J. Pearl and J. Christian Nemeth | Aug 5, 2020 | Benefit Controversies, Fiduciary and Investment Issues, Retirement Plans

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires plan fiduciaries to act prudently and loyally when making decisions about the plan. In Martin v. CareerBuilder, LLC, a federal district court held that the complaint’s allegations about expensive recordkeeping costs and imprudent investment options failed to give rise to an inference that the defendants violated their ERISA obligations.

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The Biggest Benefits Rulings of 2020: Midyear Report

by J. Christian Nemeth | Jul 29, 2020 | Benefit Controversies, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans

The US Supreme Court took up several Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) cases this term, handing down both a major loss and a substantial win to employees looking to sue their employers over retirement plan mismanagement. In a recent Law360 article, McDermott Partner Chris Nemeth discusses these decisions.

“It’s going to be really interesting to see how this plays out,” said Nemeth.

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