Investments Archives - Word on Benefits

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Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Investments Proposed Rule: Six Factors for Prudence

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

16 Apr 202616 Apr 2026

Today’s blog highlights safe harbor factors and key fiduciary duties in the Department of Labor’s March 31, 2026 proposed rule.

Compliance Employee Benefits Investments Legislative Regulatory U.S.

Proposed Rules on Trump Accounts Are Here

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

07 Apr 202607 Apr 2026

Today’s blog covers considerations for employers regarding new proposed rules on how to establish Trump accounts and how to elect for eligible children to receive the Contribution Pilot Program.

Benefits Magazine Employee Benefits Investments Multiemployer Pensions Regulatory U.S.

Investor Impact: Three Changes to Watch at the SEC

Guest Contributor

17 Feb 202617 Feb 2026

Today’s blog will look at three recent changes implemented or in progress at the SEC and discuss the implications for multiemployer pensions and their fiduciaries.

Compliance Dependent Care ERISA Investments Legislative U.S.

What Employers Need to Know About Trump Accounts

Amanda Wilke, CEBS

30 Sep 202530 Sep 2025

Today’s blog discusses the main points employers should know when considering whether to contribute to “Trump Accounts”, including account eligibility, employer contributions, plan document requirements, eligible investments and nondiscrimination rules.

401(k) Plans Compliance Defined Contribution (DC) Plans DOL Employee Benefits Investments Regulatory Retirement U.S.

Alternative Assets for DC Plans

Kathy Bergstrom, CEBS

18 Sep 202529 Sep 2025

Participants in defined contribution (DC) plans may have more access to several types of alternative investments under an executive order issued by President Trump in August.

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401(k) Plans Compliance Defined Contribution (DC) Plans DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Investments Regulatory Retirement U.S.

Expanding 401(k) Investment Choices With Alternative Asset Allocation Funds

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

16 Sep 202529 Sep 2025

An executive order signed in August may give 401(k) participants more access to investment strategies under which a portion of their contributions are allocated to alternative assets, offering them the opportunity to accumulate more money in their retirement accounts.

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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.

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Compliance Defined Contribution (DC) Plans DOL Employee Benefits ERISA Investments Legislative Regulatory U.S.

Mid-Year Regulatory and Legislative Update for Defined Contribution Plan Sponsors

Jenny Gartman, CEBS

27 Jun 202507 Jul 2025

Now that regulatory and legislative priorities are taking shape, it’s time to look at potential developments for the rest of 2025-2026.

Defined Benefit (DB) Plans DOL Employee Benefits Investments Multiemployer Pensions Retirement U.S.

The Multiemployer Retirement Plan Landscape Report: DB Key Findings

Cathe Gooding, CEBS

25 Mar 202525 Mar 2025

The overall health of multiemployer defined benefit (DB) retirement plans improved from 2020 to 2021. The average multiemployer DB plan net investment return for 2021 was 14.5%, up from 2020 (11.4%), according to The Multiemployer Retirement Plan Landscape: A 15-Year Look (2007-2021) recently […]

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 […]