The Treasury Department and the IRS recently finalized new hardship distribution rules applicable to defined contribution plans. Plan sponsors should prepare for operational changes to comply with the new regulations, including some beginning January 1, 2020.
Retirement Plans
Ninth Circuit Considers Rehearing in ERISA Arbitration Case
By Ted Becker & Richard J. Pearl on
The Ninth Circuit signaled that it might rehear Dorman v. The Charles Schwab Corp., where earlier this year it held that a mandatory arbitration provision required arbitration of an ERISA fiduciary-breach claim.
DOL Issues New Proposed Rule for Electronic Disclosures of Retirement Plan Notices
Posted in Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans
The Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule that, if finalized, would expand its existing guidance and liberalize rules for electronic disclosure of retirement plan notices under ERISA. The proposed rule, which sets forth a notice and access safe harbor, would permit electronic disclosure as the default method of delivery while permitting participants to…
Federal District Court Dismisses Pension Actuarial-Equivalence Lawsuit
By Lisa Loesel & Richard J. Pearl on
Posted in Benefit Controversies, Retirement Plans
In the string of pension-plan related, actuarial equivalence lawsuits, the court in DeBuske, et al. v. PepsiCo, Inc., et al. recently handed down the first decision favorable to plan sponsors. The DeBuske court’s narrow decision may, however, have limited impact going forward.
Employment, Benefits and Compensation Forum: Control Your Own Headlines
By McDermott Will & Emery on
In today’s high-stakes environment, in-house counsel and HR professionals are often on the frontlines, responding to headlines that threaten business and reputational objectives.
Join McDermott Will & Emery’s Employment and Employee Benefits practice groups at a half-day forum in our Chicago office on Oct. 10. This forward-looking program is designed to drive conversation around emerging…
Federal Court Certifies Class in Multiple-Plan ERISA Challenge to Health-Plan and Retirement-Plan Fees
A Texas federal court certified a class in case brought by participants in one plan, and allowed those participants to represent participants in unaffiliated plans. The claims alleged that the defendants, who marketed and provided services to all of the plans, breached fiduciary duties by imposing excessive fees. See Chavez, et al. v. Plan Benefits…
4 Ways to Manage Retirement Plan Data in New Era of Cybersecurity
By Mark E. Schreiber on
IBM estimated last year that data breaches cost companies $148 per stolen record. Given that, not surprisingly, many employers have grown increasingly concerned about the potential impact of such breaches, including breaches that may affect employer-sponsored benefit plans.
Courts have not yet formally addressed whether ERISA requires benefit plan fiduciaries to manage cybersecurity risks.…
It Could Happen to You: Tips for Acing a Benefit Plan Audit
Over the past several years, the IRS and DOL have significantly increased the number of benefit plans audits conducted each year.
As a result, it is important for plan sponsors to understand the types of issues that often arise in connection with such audits. At the recent PSCA 2019 National Conference, Brian Tiemann explained…
Bipartisan Bill Paves the Way for Significant Retirement Plan Reforms
By Lisa Loesel & Sarah L. Engle on
The House recently passed the most significant piece of proposed retirement plan legislation in more than a decade: the SECURE Act. Although the Senate must also approve the bill before it becomes law, its proposed changes have considerable bipartisan support in Congress. Plan sponsors should start considering how changes included in the SECURE Act could…
Webinar | Benefits Litigation – An Ounce of Prevention
Join us for a webinar on Friday, May 4 as McDermott litigation attorney Chris Nemeth joins employee benefit attorney Judith Wethall to discuss what’s new in employee benefits litigation. Chris will give you a peek into a world you hope never to go! Learn about disturbing trends, traps and how to prevent your employee benefit…