John Iekel

There are challenges facing not only those saving for their retirement, but also the retirement industry and professionals who work to help them to do so. A panel of industry leaders recently offered their perspective on meeting those challenges in order to better facilitate effective saving for... READ MORE

The IRS has updated the information on its website to indicate that beginning Jan. 1, 2024, Form 5558, Application for Extension of Time to File Certain Employee Plan Returns and its instructions, can be filed electronically or on paper.  The American Retirement Association (ARA) in a Dec. 5, 2022... READ MORE

The Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC) suggests that the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) be expanded. The suggestion is contained in the group’s 2023 annual report, issued on Nov. 9.  In the report, IRSAC makes 23 recommendations on a wide range of topics. Among... READ MORE

The Department of Labor (DOL) on Halloween issued the latest iteration of a proposed rule defining who is an investment advice fiduciary for purposes of ERISA. As the initial dust settles, officials from the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) have offered some further insights... READ MORE

A formal, written plan (FWP) for managing income, expenses, and assets in retirement is fundamentally a tool that heightens financial security and clarifies what needs to be done in running an account. But it’s more than that, as an industry experts outline.  The proportion of Americans completing... READ MORE

Funding of private-sector defined benefit plans has been a rising tide. But why? And what does it mean? Two industry experts offer their insights in a deeper dive.  The State of Things “Funding levels for private sector pension plans are very healthy—most plans are fully funded or overfunded at... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) on Oct. 30 posted the applicable present values for maximum guarantees for 2024 plan years.  The PBGC provides the values in a table that contains the present values of its maximum guarantee for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 436... READ MORE

RetireReadyNJ, the state-run retirement savings program that provides coverage for private-sector employes whose employers do not, has issued a request for quotes (RFQ) for investment advisor services. The New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program Board issued the RFQ on Oct. 18.  The purpose of... READ MORE

PenChecks President and CEO Spiro Preovolos, at an Oct. 23 session of the ASPPA Annual conference, announced the recipients of the 2023 PenChecks Trust ASPPA Scholarships. The scholarship program is now in its 10th year.  After a rigorous application and selection process, a team of PenChecks and... READ MORE