John Iekel

Last year brought a variety of trends to defined benefit plans and those who run and benefit from them, notes a recent report looking at some of the key developments in 2021. October Three, which tracks two hypothetical DB plans—one that is invested in a more traditional way and another invested... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) announced Dec. 23 that it approved another multiemployer plan application under the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The assistance is going to the Idaho Signatory Employers-Laborers... READ MORE

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) on Dec. 29 unveiled final revisions to the Form 5500 and the Form 5500-SF Short Form Annual Return/Report of Small Employee Benefit Plan. The revised forms are to be used for reporting concerning the 2021 plan year, and... READ MORE

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) announced Dec. 21 that it has approved its first multiemployer plan application under the Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Program created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The PBGC on July 9 announced that it has issued an interim... READ MORE

There was good news for pension plan funded status in the third quarter of 2021, and even better news for the year so far, says a recent report.  Insight Investment maintains three model pension indices that reflect different approaches to hedging the same liability profile and illustrate the... READ MORE

Anxiety about personal economics is running high, and one of the long-term answers to which Americans are looking is the employer-provided retirement plan.  A majority of the more than 2,000 participants polled are anxious about their current financial situation, according to a survey commissioned... READ MORE

The SECURE Act is about to celebrate its second birthday, and the changes it made are still the subject of active discussion. Among them are the provisions that concern long-term part-time (LTPT) employees, which ushered in new treatment regarding their eligibility to participate in an employer’s... READ MORE

Sometimes the door doesn’t close on retired employees and it turns out to be a revolving door. A recent blog entry discusses what rehiring a former employee may spell for an employer and a plan, and steps an employer may want to take.   In “Here I Go Again in the Plan…Treatment of Rehired... READ MORE

Year-end plan reviews are just around the corner. In a Dec. 6. Session of the ASPPA Winter Symposium, Missy Matrangola, QKA, QPA, Consultant with Atlantic Pension Services, Inc., offered ideas on how to get the most out those reviews. Why Do a Plan Review?  A plan review will be helpful in the... READ MORE