Jenny Gartman, CEBS, Author at Word on Benefits

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits

PCORI Fee: Long Story for Short Plan Years

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

11 Jul 201826 Jul 2018

As the July 31, 2018 deadline approaches for paying fees required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), some International Foundation members have been asking about short plan years. Self-insured plan sponsors will report and pay PCORI fees once […]

Top Reasons for RRSP Early Withdrawals

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

26 Apr 2018

Plan sponsors have a good idea of the financial struggles that employees are facing. But did you know that some people are turning to money saved in Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) for nonretirement needs? Why don’t they have an emergency fund? […]

Employee Benefits MPRA PBGC Pensions

Alternative Withdrawal Liability Payment Guidance—What Does It Mean?

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

16 Apr 201817 Apr 2018

In April, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) released a policy statement titled “Requests to Review Multiemployer Plan Alternative Terms and Conditions to Satisfy Withdrawal Liability.” I’ll share my takeaways from reading it and attending a media call with Tom Reeder, Director […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Wellness

What Are Employers Doing to Help Workers Quit Smoking?

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

30 Jan 2018

Quitting smoking is one of the most common and most challenging new year’s resolutions. As the first month of the year will soon become a memory, so too will most attempts to quit smoking. Looking for ways to help increase the odds […]

Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Retirement

Using Behavioral Economics to Participants’ Advantage

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

05 Oct 2017

What stops us from making good financial decisions? In a recent International Foundation member webcast, Using Behavioral Tools to Drive Better Decision Making, James V. Bracchitta, CEBS, a labor trustee on the Screen Actors Guild Producers Pension & Health Plan, shared ideas […]

Employee Benefits Multiemployer

Multiemployer Plans Filling Gaps With Professional Trustees

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

20 Sep 2017

In my research for International Foundation member requests, I noticed an uptick in questions about professional trustees and their fiduciary roles. Here’s an overview of a professional trustee’s role on a multiemployer plan board of trustees. Definition A professional trustee is a […]

401(k) Plans Employee Benefits Retirement

Top 5 Tips for 401(k) Loan Program Design

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

26 Jul 201728 Jul 2017

Considering loan options for your 401(k) plan but concerned about the potential consequences? Here are five plan design ideas for plan sponsors who want to allow employees to borrow against 401(k) accounts and, at the same time, ensure the loan is repaid […]

401(k) Plans Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Wellness Retirement

Top 5 Reasons for 401(k) Loans

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

30 May 2017

Many 401(k) plans allow participants to take out loans from their individual 401(k) account—While loan options provide flexibility for those tentative to contribute to 401(k) accounts, the option to borrow can also have a negative impact on retirement security. In my research […]

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employee Benefits

IRS to Accept Tax Returns Without Individual Health Coverage Status

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

10 Mar 2017

Consistent with President Trump’s January 20, 2017, executive order the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has decided to continue accepting tax returns even if a taxpayer doesn’t indicate his or her health coverage status, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ACA […]

Employee Benefits Health Care Insurance

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) 101

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

19 Jan 201707 Jan 2019

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are health care expense accounts for people covered under high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), designed to help them save and pay for certain health care costs tax-free, right away or anytime in the future. HSAs are intended to empower […]