Online education is flourishing worldwide. The growth and popularity of online universities like the University of Phoenix have drawn mainline universities like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn State and many others into the fold. Team-Treehouse, an independent firm providing technology education, has more than 50,000 current students learning to code.… Read More
Mistakes happen and in the case of 401(k) plans, even a “foot fault” in plan operation can be disastrous, resulting in the loss of the plans tax-favored status
followed by substantial fees including taxes, interest, and penalties. ankfully, the IRS recognizes this and created the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS).… Read More
It is a given—the 401(k) rules are constantly changing. 2018 was no di erent and as can be expected, there were several changes throughout 2018 which impacted 401(k)
plans. Below is a summary of the changes—some of which require plan amendments; others do not.… Read More
President Trump issued an Executive Order on August 31, 2018, directing the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Treasury (Treasury) to ease
the barriers employers face in o ering retirement plans and increase employee access to retirement bene t programs. e Executive Order addressed the following three areas of concern.… Read More
On June 21, 2018, the Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Rule (the Rule) met its demise when the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its final mandate certifying its earlier decision to vacate the Rule. … Read More
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) 2018–01, which provides guidance to its national and regional o ces relating to how plan duciaries can take environmental, social, or governance (ESG) considerations into account when making plan investments. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the DOL’s current view on these issues is considerably narrower than those expressed by the prior Administration.… Read More
It has been reported that the Philadelphia office of the Employee Benefits Security Administra- tion (EBSA), the investigative arm of the DOL, has
recently begun investigations of retirement plans focusing on “excessive fees.” Why is the DOL doing this now?… Read More
