Employee Benefits

What Retirement Plan Sponsors Need to Know About Spousal Consent and Remote Witnessing

Jenny Gartman, CEBS
 

The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) temporarily allowed, in light of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, electronic alternatives to physical presence requirements for retirement plan participants’ elections that required spousal consent. The two allowed alternatives were remote witnessing by notaries public […]

Workplace Benefits Valedictorians: The Graduating Class of 2023 Wants These Benefits

Tim Hennessy
 

When it comes to employee benefits, tried-and-true offerings like employer-paid health insurance and matching retirement savings plan contributions have remained at the head of the class among soon-to-be U.S. and Canadian college graduates over the years. According to a survey from The […]

The Rise of Gender-Affirmation Health Care Benefits

Anne Patterson
 

Gender-affirmation health care benefit offerings have been on the rise over the past seven years, according to survey data from the International Foundation. Up from 12 percent in 2016, 30 percent of U.S. employers now offer the benefit. I spoke with Julie […]

How SFA Rules Impact Annual Funding Notice Requirements

Jenny Gartman, CEBS
 

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 authorized special financial assistance (SFA) through the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to eligible severely underfunded multiemployer plans. ARPA added section 4262 to Title IV of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The multiemployer plans […]

In a Benefits Plan Far, Far Away

Julie Stich, CEBS
 

Over the past several years, May 4 has skyrocketed in popularity as Star Wars Day—as in, “May the Fourth be with you.” In honor of May the Fourth, we thought it would be fun to continue the rebellion against convention by using Star […]