BENEFITS DIGEST

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A publication of The Inner Firm

Thursday, July 30, 2026

№ 20

29 items · ~5 min read

Court Decisions (1)·Retirement Plans (8)·Health & Welfare (6)·Leave & Time Off (3)·Case Commentary (6)·Regulatory & Guidance (3)·Also Noteworthy (2)

The One Thing

Segal's case for Variable Annuity Pension Plans points to a structural rethink of defined benefit risk, not just another funding-relief patch: instead of the sponsor bearing full investment risk or shifting all of it to participants, a VAPP indexes benefit payouts to actual investment performance, smoothing volatility without chasing a fixed return. For sponsors of legacy DB plans tired of chronic funding-ratio swings, it's worth understanding as a genuine design alternative, not just a hedge.

Court Decisions (1)

United States v. Greebel
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit 2026-07-29

Defendant Greebel appealed the district court's rejection of a settlement agreement to garnish his 401(k) to satisfy a criminal restitution order, and the Second Circuit reversed, holding the parties' proposed garnishment orders complied with the prior mandate.

Retirement Plans (8)

530A Trump Accounts: The Compounding Mathematical Facts
Slott Report 2026-07-29

To avoid politics and focus solely on the numbers, we will refer to Trump accounts as “530A accounts,” so named by the section of the Internal Revenue Code enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) on July 4, 2025.

The Rise of Hybrid Pension Sponsorships, Part 1
Employee Benefit News 2026-07-28

Cash-balance plans lead the way in groundswell of support for offering a more meaningful approach to generating retirement income for cash-strapped workers.

Health & Welfare (6)

ICHRA Adoption Slowed by ACA Exchange Costs, Instability
Healthcare Dive · Many employers are considering the coverage arrangements, but worries about the ACA marketplaces · including potentially high costs for workers 2026-07-29

are making them hesitant to move forward, according to a survey.

What If? Preparing Your Health Plan for the Unexpected
IFEBP · Word on Benefits 2026-07-28

From compliance notices and fiduciary responsibilities to unexpected operational challenges, asking “what if?” helps plan sponsors anticipate risks before they become costly problems.

Leave & Time Off (3)

Virginia Employers: Get Ready for Expanded Paid Sick Leave
Epstein Becker & Green · via JD SupraDeadline 2026-07-29

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger recently signed into law paid sick leave (PSL) entitlements for nearly all employees working in the Commonwealth. The law will have a staggered effective date, with the earliest changes taking effect in mid-2027.

Case Commentary (6)

Ninth Circuit Affirms Knowing and Voluntary Waiver of 401(k) Claims but Reverses Summary Judgment on Pension Plan Claims After Finding Triable Issue as to Whether Eligibility Amendment Was Backdated
Roberts Disability Law 2026-07-29

In Raya v. Barka, No. 25-2394, __ F.4th __, 2026 WL 2168772 (9th Cir. July 28, 2026), Plaintiff sued his former employer, Calbiotech, Inc., several individual defendants, and Calbiotech’s 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Pension Plan, asserting ERISA claims for denial of benefits, breach of fiduciary duty.

Regulatory & Guidance (3)

DOL Proposes Electronic Disclosure Safe Harbor for Health Plan Documents
Mayer Brown · The DOL's July 23 proposal would extend a 2020-style e-delivery safe harbor to ERISA group health plans, shifting from today's consent-based standard to default website notice-and-access delivery 2026-07-23

a change DOL estimates could lift e-delivery rates from about 68% to 90% and save $402 million a year.

Also Noteworthy (2)