Benefits Magazine Archives - Word on Benefits

Apprenticeship Instruction for English Language Learners: Three Approaches

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

06 Nov 202506 Nov 2025

Rising demand for skilled workers and changing demographics have required an international union to develop creative programs to recruit and retain apprentices—including those who may not be fluent in English.

Benefits Magazine Compliance Defined Benefit (DB) Plans Employee Benefits Legislative Multiemployer Pensions Regulatory U.S.

Freezing the Frame: Supreme Court Withdrawal Liability Case to Address Timing of Actuarial Assumptions

Guest Contributor

23 Oct 202523 Oct 2025

In the first withdrawal liability case to reach the Supreme Court in more than three decades, the Court will consider a statutory question, whose answer will determine pension plans have the flexibility to update actuarial assumptions after year end.

Benefits Magazine Retirement U.S.

Will You Be Ready to Work in Retirement? Key Questions to Ask Yourself

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

14 Oct 202514 Oct 2025

If you’re a midcareer retirement plan participant, you may want to start planning for retirement career interests.

Businessman accountant working audit and calculating expense financial data on graph documents, doing finance in workplace

401(k) Plans Benefits Magazine Employee Benefits ERISA Investments Retirement U.S.

The Rise of CITs: What ERISA Plan Fiduciaries Should Know

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

20 Aug 202520 Aug 2025

Collective investment trusts (CITs) have become increasingly popular investment options for Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plans as fiduciaries seek to lower investment management fees.

Female patient describes abdominal pain et the doctor know about the symptoms and the doctor takes the patient's history and records it.

Benefits Magazine Disease Management Employee Benefits Health Care U.S. Wellness

Addressing GI Health: Four Benefits to Consider

Guest Contributor

17 Jul 202517 Jul 2025

An estimated 60-70 million people in the U.S. are affected by digestive disease; addressing gut health among employees may have major impacts on plan costs as well as heath outcomes.

Benefits Magazine Employee Benefits Health Care HIPAA Insurance Mental Health U.S.

The New Look of Virtual Care: What’s Right for Employers and Plan Sponsors?

Guest Contributor

12 Jun 202512 Jun 2025

Benefits Magazine Extras articles provide you with bonus content on a mix of benefits topics as well as deep dives and analyses on the latest benefit trends and compliance issues. Visit ifebp.org/benefitsmagazine to see the latest Benefits Magazine Extras as well as the bimonthly print […]

401(k) Plans Benefits Magazine Defined Contribution (DC) Plans Employee Benefits Investments SECURE 2.0 U.S.

Hardship Distributions: Five Questions for Plan Sponsors

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

27 Dec 202427 Dec 2024

It’s become easier for plan participants to take distributions from their defined contribution (DC) retirement plan account balances, but plan sponsors still have a fiduciary duty to ensure that the need for these distributions is real. In the November/December issue of Benefits […]

Benefits Magazine Dependent Care Employee Benefits Mental Health U.S. Wellness Work Life Balance

The New Caregiver Benefits: Precision Support Through Expanded Understanding

Guest Contributor

17 Oct 202411 Dec 2024

Caregiving is not merely a personal responsibility; it is an essential societal function. Research has found that 73% of all employees1 have some current caregiving responsibility—whether caring for aging parents, supporting a loved one through illness or raising a child—requiring them to […]

Benefits Magazine Communication Employee Benefits ERISA Multiemployer Retirement U.S.

Best Practices for Multiemployer Retirement Plan Death Audits

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

29 May 202429 May 2024

Fiduciaries have many responsibilities that stem from the duties of care, loyalty and prudence, including ensuring the correct benefits are paid to the correct participants and beneficiaries of the plan. Benefits Magazine authors Lisa L. Kaiser, CEBS, and Carey R. Wooton, CEBS, explain […]

401(k) Plans Benefits Magazine Defined Benefit (DB) Plans Defined Contribution (DC) Plans Employee Benefits Financial Education Financial Education (U.S.) Financial Wellness Investments U.S.

Educating DC Plan Participants for the Long Hike to Retirement

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

16 Apr 202416 Apr 2024

Many years ago, I visited Grand Canyon National Park with my mom and aunt. It was unseasonably hot, but I wanted to walk down into the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. My companions were not up for the hike, so I […]