News & Analysis as of

Employee Benefits Benefit Plan Sponsors Fiduciary Duty

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

In a Rare Move, the DOL Backs the Employer in a Forfeiture Allocation Case—But Don’t Pop the Champagne Just Yet

Sometimes, in the strange world of ERISA litigation, you get a surprise. And in Hutchins v. Hewlett Packard, we got one: the Department of Labor, yes, that DOL, the one whose name alone strikes fear into the heart of many...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Mission Possible: How 401(k) Plan Sponsors Can Handle Fiduciary Liability Like A Pro

Tom Cruise doesn’t age, and apparently neither do the problems that plague 401(k) plan sponsors. The plotlines may change—market volatility, regulation updates, SECURE 2.0—but one thing remains constant: fiduciary liability...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Intel Wins: Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Anti-Private Equity Lawsuit

After six long years of litigation, Intel’s 401(k) plan design just got a big legal endorsement. A three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit dismissed a lawsuit filed by plan participants who claimed that including hedge funds...more

Cooley LLP

Private Equity and Venture Capital Investments for 401(k) Plans?

Cooley LLP on

On August 7, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors) that has been widely – and mistakenly – reported to open 401(k) plan assets to “alternative...more

Verrill

Coming Soon to Your 401(k) Plan: Tontines and Other Exotic Investments!

Verrill on

Participants in 401(k) plans and other defined contribution retirement plans may soon have the opportunity to invest their plan accounts in a variety of high-risk and potentially high-return assets. Touted as an effort to...more

Mayer Brown

US Department of Labor Solicits Feedback and Provides Guidance to Smaller Employers on Pooled Employer Plans

Mayer Brown on

On July 28, 2025, the US Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Request for Information (RFI) regarding the current usage and operations of pooled employer plans (PEPs), as well as obstacles that are discouraging smaller...more

Carlton Fields

Plan Sponsor and Asset Manager Considerations Under 401(k) Alternatives Executive Order

Carlton Fields on

On August 7, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors,” designed to open the use of alternative investments, including private equity and actively...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Navigating the New Normal: Top Employee Benefits Risks for Healthcare Employers in 2025

Saul Ewing LLP on

As the healthcare industry grapples with the impact of the 2025 Comprehensive Reform Act, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025, offering benefits to its own employees continues to be both a tool for employee retention...more

Haynes Boone

DOL Approves the Use of Forfeitures to Offset Employer Contributions

Haynes Boone on

In a lawsuit currently under appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the court has been asked to decide whether the plan administrator violated its fiduciary duties of prudence and loyalty under ERISA when...more

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

Husch Blackwell LLP

Employers Continue to Face ERISA Tobacco Surcharge Lawsuits, With Mixed Results

Husch Blackwell LLP on

Recently, companies have seen a spate of class action lawsuits challenging the legality of tobacco cessation wellness programs and related tobacco surcharges imposed by their employer-sponsored health benefit plans....more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Dear Plan Providers: Here’s the Kind of Content Plan Sponsors Actually Want

If you’re a plan provider—advisor, TPA, recordkeeper, or pooled plan provider—you’ve probably heard the advice a million times: “Create content to stay top of mind with plan sponsors.” But what kind of content actually works?...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Plan Design That Works: Why 401(k) Participants Are Saving Smarter

Every once in a while, the data tells a story that plan sponsors should actually feel good about. Vanguard’s latest How America Saves report offers just that, a story of progress. Thanks to smarter plan design choices,...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

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Harnessing AI Under ERISA: A Compliance and Oversight Guide for Retirement and Health Plan Fiduciaries

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

It is increasingly evident that artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping all facets of business, and its impact on employee benefit plans is no exception. From automating plan administration to personalizing participant...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

The Most Absurd Things About 401(k) Plans That Sponsors Have No Idea About

Fifteen years into my solo practice, you’d think I’d be desensitized to the absurdities of the 401(k) world. But no. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, a plan sponsor, or more accurately, the people advising them, reminds...more

Bricker Graydon LLP

The Uncashed Check Conundrum - What Employers Need to Do

Bricker Graydon LLP on

A terminated employee moves and doesn’t tell you and the check for the small benefit forced out of your retirement plan gets returned. A participant requests a distribution and the check gets delivered, but it is never...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Soap Operas Are Great on TV, But Not in Your 401(k) Plan

Look, I love a good soap opera. I grew up on Dallas, and I still sneak in The Bold and the Beautiful when I can. There’s something about the betrayal, the big reveals, and the constant twists that makes it compelling. But you...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Overpaying for Underperformance: A Fiduciary Breakdown in Plain Sight

A massive new study by Abernathy-Daley covering nearly 58,000 corporate 401(k) plans delivered a simple—but startling—message: virtually every plan suffers from overpriced, underperforming funds. In fact, 99% of plans have at...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

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

401(k) Plans Need The Involuntary Cash-Out Rule (Updated)

They always say that it’s hard to say goodbye, I never had that issue as a former employee. I was never sentimental to former employers, but other former employees may think differently. As a 401(k) plan sponsor, you...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

The 3 Cs: Why 401(k) Plan Sponsors Can’t Afford to Be Cheap, Controlling, and Clueless

After close to 30 years in this business—wearing the hats of TPA employee, ERISA attorney, plan document drafter, and occasional therapist to frantic plan sponsors—I’ve seen it all. The horror stories, the lawsuits, the...more

Hall Benefits Law

PBM Contracts Could Expose Plan Sponsors to Fiduciary Liability

Hall Benefits Law on

A plan sponsor’s fiduciary duty to be transparent in Pharmacy Benefit Manager contracts safeguards plan participants’ interests and mitigates the risk of litigation, regulatory penalties, and reputational harm, say Hall...more

Alston & Bird

Navigating the Complexities of VEBA Asset Reallocation: Comprehensive Tax and ERISA Fiduciary Considerations

Alston & Bird on

Our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group discusses how employers can use voluntary employees’ beneficiary association (VEBA) asset reallocations while meeting ERISA fiduciary obligations....more

Bricker Graydon LLP

Don’t Forget About the IRS When Correcting Delinquent Plan Contributions

Bricker Graydon LLP on

Employers that do not timely deposit participant deferrals and loan contributions to their employer sponsored retirement plans can be subject to Department of Labor (DOL) penalties for breaching their fiduciary duties....more

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