Today’s retirement plans (401(k), 403(b), defined benefit pension plans, etc.) are growing ever more sophisticated, offering plan participants more features and options for increased retirement savings.
Thursday, July 16, 2026
№ 10Retirement Plans (10)·Health & Welfare (1)·Leave & Time Off (1)·Executive Compensation (1)·Case Commentary (3)
The One Thing
Plan sponsors educating participants on increasingly complex retirement plan features face a narrow corridor: providing enough information to boost retirement literacy without crossing into fiduciary "advice" that triggers ERISA liability. The tension between participant need and sponsor risk is becoming acute as plans expand options and defaults, requiring clearer guidance on where education ends and actionable recommendation begins.
Retirement Plans (10)
Thrivent shows split in retirement confidence among savers hurdling through market inflation and advancements in AI technology
IRALOGIX findings opens a broader conversation about retirement planning and competing financial responsibilities
As the conversation around retirement income continues to evolve, Lincoln Financial’s Matt Condos says the opportunity is not to introduce something entirely new, but to extend what has already worked
What larger retirement plan sponsors stand to gain and give up in a pooled employer plan created under the SECURE Act of 2019.
Happy Summer from the Kaufman & Canoles ESOPs, Benefits & Compensation team! As the weather heats up and we enjoy the longest days of the year, we have a few updates and reminders on the benefits front for your consideration
Congress is once again considering legislation that would allow 403(b) retirement plans to invest in Collective Investment Trusts (CITs).
They really should be fully understood by the fiduciaries involved in the selection and maintenance any lifetime income program, especially if one is attempting to comply with the DOL’s proposed prudence safe harbor.
For three decades, the retirement industry has fought a losing battle. Competition drove investment management fees relentlessly downward.
A new academic report provides unusually strong evidence for a central argument made in both the our investigation of Ohio STRS and our broader CalPERS report: public-pension compensation systems can reward staff for an internally manufactured version of performance that is materially better than the pension’s
Health & Welfare (1)
U.S. Congress returns this week following the July Fourth recess, with healthcare activity expected to center on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means' health-focused markup, where lawmakers are scheduled to consider a package of bipartisan bills addressing remote patient monitoring access in
Leave & Time Off (1)
Massachusetts employers may see a change in their contribution rates under the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program beginning January 1, 2027.
Executive Compensation (1)
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (Section 409A) imposes strict rules governing the timing of deferred compensation payments, such as when and under what circumstances such payments can be made.
Case Commentary (3)
In Advanced Gynecology & Laparoscopy of North Jersey P.C. v. Cigna Health & Life Insurance Co., No. 24-2212, 2026 WL 2030368 (3d Cir. July 13, 2026), nearly two dozen New Jersey healthcare practices, providing out-of-network services to Cigna subscribers who had assigned their plan benefits, alleged that Cigna
In Guenther v. BP Retirement Accumulation Plan, No. 24-20551, 2026 WL 2031828 (5th Cir. July 14, 2026) (per curiam), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated a judgment entered in favor of a class of current and former BP employees on their ERISA fiduciary-breach claims and remanded for the
It's the third recent legal victory in No Surprises lawsuits for billings intermediary HaloMD, which has also had suits dismissed in California and Texas.