News & Analysis as of

Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Duty 401k

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

The Forfeiture Fiasco: Why the DOL and Common Sense are on the Right Side of the HP Case

It’s not often you see the U.S. Department of Labor jumping into the legal ring to back plan sponsors, but when they do, you know something bigger is at stake than just one plan participant’s gripe. That’s exactly what...more

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Democratizing Access To Alternative Assets For 401(K) Investors (Trump EO Tracker)

This executive order directs the Department of Labor to reevaluate and clarify its guidance under ERISA regarding fiduciary duties related to including alternative assets in 401(k) retirement plans. It aims to expand access...more

Lathrop GPM

New Executive Order Opens the Door for Alternative Assets as 401(k) Plan Options

Lathrop GPM on

On August 7, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order entitled, Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(K) Investors (“the EO”), which directs the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Bitcoin Over $120K? That Doesn’t Mean It Belongs in Your 401(k)

Bitcoin has blown past $120,000 and, predictably, the buzz is back. Advisors are getting questions. Participants are curious. And yes, some plan sponsors are starting to wonder if it’s time to add crypto to their 401(k)...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Quick Tips for Plan Sponsors Who Want to Stay Out of Trouble

If you’re a 401(k) plan sponsor, you don’t need to be an ERISA expert—you just need to avoid doing dumb things. Here are a few quick tips to help you stay on the right side of your fiduciary duties and keep your participants...more

Ropes & Gray LLP

DOL Sheds Light on the Fiduciary Responsibilities That Arise with Pooled Employer Plans PEPs

Ropes & Gray LLP on

On July 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued some new interpretive guidance as part of a request for information (“RFI”) about pooled employer plans (“PEPs”) and an employer’s fiduciary responsibilities that...more

Kilpatrick

DOL Signals Shift to a More Fiduciary-Friendly Enforcement of ERISA

Kilpatrick on

One of the key questions that plan sponsors and fiduciaries have had about the second Trump Administration is how the Department of Labor (“DOL”) would advance the Trump Administration’s policy goals given the...more

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Simplified Option for Correcting Certain Retirement Plan Failures

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) amended its Voluntary Fiduciary Compliance Program (“VFCP”) to provide retirement plan sponsors with a simplified option for correcting certain specified prohibited...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

M&A &401(k): Where Fiduciary Oversight Often Goes to Die

I n the world of corporate mergers and acquisitions, attention is lavished on financial statements, contracts, intellectual property, real estate, and executive compensation. Armies of lawyers and accountants pore over every...more

Snell & Wilmer

A Return to Form: Department of Labor Walks Back Crypto Warning for 401(k) Plans

Snell & Wilmer on

In Compliance Assistance Release 2025-01 (the “Release”), the Department of Labor (the “Department”) rescinded its prior guidance that cautioned fiduciaries against offering cryptocurrency investments in their retirement...more

Bond Schoeneck & King PLLC

401(k) Forfeiture Litigation: Implications for Plan Sponsors

Background - In a wave of class-action litigation beginning around 2023, plaintiffs have alleged violations of fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and prohibited transaction rules in...more

Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP

A Friendly DOL Amicus Brief on Forfeitures

On July 9th, the Secretary of Labor filed an amicus brief with the Ninth Circuit relating to the appeal of Hutchins v. HP, Inc. In that case, a participant claimed that forfeitures should have been used to offset plan...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Another Year, Another Reminder: Fees Still Matter – Especially for Small Plans

The just-released 25th Edition of the 401k Averages Book confirms what many of us on the fiduciary side have known—and preached—for years: fees continue to fall, but not evenly. While this is welcome news, it’s also a wake-up...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

DOL Walks Back Crypto Chill: A Return to Fiduciary Neutrality

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01. For those of us keeping track at home, this new guidance effectively rescinds the now infamous...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Crypto in 401(k) Plans? Sure—But Let’s Not Lose Our Minds

Well, that didn’t take long. In what’s becoming a routine political tug-of-war, the Trump administration (yes, back again) has rescinded the Biden-era Department of Labor (DOL) guidance cautioning plan sponsors against...more

Holland & Hart - The Benefits Dial

How Do You Like Me Now… Plan Fiduciary Considerations Following New DOL Crypto Guidance

The Department of Labor recently issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01 rescinding Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 that directed 401(k) plan fiduciaries to exercise “extreme care” before adding...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

10 Things Every 401(k) Plan Sponsor Should Be Doing To Stay On The Right Side Of ERISA

When you sponsor a 401(k) plan, you’re not just handing out a shiny benefit to help employees save for retirement. You’re stepping into a role that carries legal weight, personal responsibility, and—if you’re not careful—...more

Mayer Brown

A Return to Investment Neutrality? DOL Rescinds Guidance Discouraging Plan Fiduciaries from Considering Cryptocurrencies

Mayer Brown on

On May 28, 2025, the US Department of Labor (the “Labor Department”) issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01 (the “2025 Release”), memorializing the Labor Department’s decision to rescind Compliance Release No....more

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

U.S. Department of Labor Withdraws 2022 Crypto Guidance—What It Means for 401(k) Plan Fiduciaries

Crypto may be back on the table for 401(k) plans, but fiduciary duties remain as demanding as ever. On May 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL) issued Compliance Assistance...more

Seward & Kissel LLP

401(k) Plan Investments in Digital Assets

Seward & Kissel LLP on

The Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01 (the “Release”), reversing previous guidance that cautioned plan fiduciaries offering investments in digital assets in...more

A&O Shearman

Crypto in and ESG out—DOL changes to 401(k) plan governance

A&O Shearman on

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced two significant changes to 401(k) plan investments, signaling an increase in latitude for fiduciaries who wish to make available cryptocurrency investments in their plans...more

Kilpatrick

The Ninth Circuit Rejects Plaintiffs’ Challenge to 401(k) Investments in Private Equity

Kilpatrick on

On May 22, 2025, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s decision to reject a class action lawsuit brought against fiduciaries of Intel defined contribution retirement plans that challenged the plan managers’ decision...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Labor Department Shifts Positions on ESG Investments and Cryptocurrencies in 401(k) Plans

As anticipated, the Department of Labor (DOL) recently changed its position with respect to certain investment choices that 401(k) plan fiduciaries sometimes consider or make available to plan participants, including...more

Williams Mullen

PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - Forfeitures Under Fire

Williams Mullen on

On this episode of Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion, host Brydon DeWitt unpacks the growing legal controversy surrounding the use of forfeitures in retirement plans. With numerous lawsuits recently filed, plan sponsors...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Cryptocurrency in 401(k): A Balanced Approach Returns

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

On May 28, 2025, the DOL released Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01. The 2025 CAR rescinds the DOL’s previous Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (2022 CAR), issued in 2022, which indicated an unfavorable DOL...more

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