DE Under 3: New WIR Reporter; Nomination for New EEOC General Counsel; ODEP “Disability & the Digital Divide” Report
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - Missing Plan Participants
Following up on our recent blog post, SECURE 2.0’s Required Changes to Annual Funding Notice Become Effective in 2025, the Department of Labor released Field Assistance Bulletin 2025-02 on April 3, which addresses compliance...more
On April 3rd, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) released FAB 2025-02 and related model notices to provide some guidance for the 2024 plan year annual funding notices (AFNs). The EBSA is requiring that plan...more
As explained in my last post, Things I Worry About (7), the DOL’s EBSA has a number of programs that can restore benefits to plans and participants. Those include: - Civil investigations. - Criminal investigations. -...more
The DOL’s EBSA has a number of programs that can restore benefits to plans and participants. Those include: - Civil investigations. - Criminal investigations. - Informal compliant resolutions. - Correction programs. ...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a revised Voluntary Fiduciary Compliance Program (VFCP), a long-awaited update by many in the industry. The most significant change is the introduction of a self-correction component,...more
by Becky Achten New guidance from the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) affirms that both sides—retirement plans and welfare plans—must take steps to secure participant data from cybercrime. In 2021 the...more
All qualified retirement plans are subject to a myriad of requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is charged with enforcing the...more
I got an urgent phone call on Friday at 5 pm from a plan sponsor with a unique situation. They talked about terminating their 401(k) plan to their third-party administrator (TPA) and the TPA canceled access to their plan....more
The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ordered engineering firm Bicallis LLC and its owner, Bryan Hill, to restore missing contributions to the Bicallis LLC 401(k) Plan....more
In the movie Casino, Robert DeNiro as Sam Rothstein wanted to take on the Nevada Gaming Board after they denied his request for his license. Andy Stone, a Teamster controlled by the Mafia and played by Alan King told him it...more
The battle over crypto 401(k)s reached a fever pitch last week as 401(k) provider ForUsAll Inc. filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in a Washington, D.C. federal court on June 2, alleging that federal...more
Fidelity Investments recently announced it is making a Bitcoin account available as an investment option for 401(k) plans, fueling a debate about cryptocurrencies and fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA. In what might...more
Just over a month ago, we wrote about the Department of Labor’s guidance on cryptocurrency as a 401(k) investment option, and the landscape has already shifted multiple times....more
A recent release by the DOL raising concerns about plan sponsors allowing cryptocurrency investments in 401(k) plans has gotten the attention of both sides of the Congressional aisle as well as industry groups. Some of the...more
Among the many phrases of ERISA, one that is familiar to investment fiduciaries is the requirement to choose investments with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence that a prudent person who is familiar with such matters...more
While some employees and retirees have been asking to have cryptocurrencies included in their 401(k) retirement plans, federal authorities recently issued a strong and direct warning that such a plan might run afoul of...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: In keeping with their recent more vocal stance on fiduciary duties, the Department of Labor has weighed in on the wisdom of 401(k) plans including an ESG fund or a crypto investment option in its line-up....more
In last month’s 401(k) Compliance Check, we discussed the importance of ensuring your 401(k) plan’s designated decision-makers are actually authorized to make plan decisions. In this month’s Compliance Check, we look at...more
Some birds aren’t mean to be caged (a line from The Shawshank Redemption) and some attorneys weren’t meant to be law firm associates. 3 years working for two law firms was 3 years too long....more
On July 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued Temporary Implementing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Interim Final Rule (IFR) which the EBSA had...more
On April 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) finally issued first-ever guidance for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, record keepers and plan participants on best...more
The Employee Benefits Security Administration of the United States Department of Labor (“EBSA”) recently published guidance regarding cybersecurity best practices for recordkeepers and service providers responsible for plan...more
The United States Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) announced on March 10, 2021 that it will not enforce certain final rules put into place under President Trump related to...more
For a host of legal and practical reasons, the only feasible alternative for disposing of the accounts of missing participants in a terminating 401(k) or other defined contribution retirement plan qualified only in Puerto...more
ERISA litigation tends to spike when economic uncertainty or turmoil rises. Although many things contribute to this historically verifiable trend, it is easiest for employers to think about just two of them. First, an...more