Laws & Regulations

• DOL clarifies QDIA guidance

  The Department of Labor recently released guidance, in a question and answer format, on qualified default investment alternatives.

• HHS Secretary Leavitt backs value-based health care

  Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt knows his term will expire in nine months, but that doesn't mean HHS will slow down in advocating initiatives for value-based health care.

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• Court case could be watershed for benefit claims

  The Supreme Court plans to hear a case that could have widespread ramifications for employee benefit plans and insurers across the country

• Mixed response to FMLA proposal

  In February, the Department of Labor published a proposal to update the Family and Medical Leave Act, clarifying the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers. It also would speed the implementation of a new law that expands FMLA coverage for military family members.

• Controversial Ariz. law fuels immigration debate

  Arizona employers and lawmakers have thrust themselves into the national debate over immigration as the two sides continue a courtroom battle over a new law that forces business owners to register all workers with an electronic verification system meant to identify undocumented alien workers.

• Intermittent FMLA absences cause major headaches for employers

  By and large, employers support the Department of Labor's new Family and Medical Leave Act regulations, but many believe some workers will take advantage of FMLA leave policies, reports WorldatWork, an HR association.

• New 403(b) assistance tool may clear up compliance confusion

  More than three in four plan sponsors want help complying with regulations, a new study from Spectrem Group finds.

• Post-PPA: DOL sees 401(k) fees and fiduciary compliance as unfinished business

  The Department of Labor's upcoming regulatory agenda will focus, in part, on 401(k) fees and fiduciary compliance, Robert Doyle, director of regulations and interpretations at DOL, told attendees this week at MetLife's 4th annual National Benefits Symposium.

• U.S. has it right when it comes to DC plans

  "The truth is Americans have it right when it comes to minimizing risk for plan sponsors and also for ensuring much more certainty for plan members in the defined contribution world," Koskie Minsky partner Ari Kaplan told a sold out crowd at EBNC and the IFEBP's Canadian Benefits Summit held last week in Toronto.

• The KissTrust: An innovative retirement solution

  What if a program existed to focus on retirement savings and financial security for children of employees? An additional 20 or 25 years for retirement growth could yield significant additional retirement savings - perhaps even three times as much.

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• EBN Industry inBrief – 5/15/08

  Slow economy hits younger boomers hard

  Nearly 25% of middle-aged workers (ages 45-64) prematurely withdrew funds from their 401(k), individual retirement account or other investments due to the current economic downtown, according to a survey by AARP.

• Low-income and older workers make 401(k) investing mistakes

  New research shows that 401(k) participants with lower salaries have smaller plan balances, compared to those with higher salaries and those nearing retirement tend to do a poor job on managing their investments.

• EBN Industry inBrief – 5/08/08

  DOL online program helps employers with notice requirements The Department of Labor recently launched a Web-based program that helps employers determine which of the department's recordkeeping, reporting and notice requirements apply to them.

• DOL clarifies QDIA guidance

  The Department of Labor recently released guidance, in a question and answer format, on qualified default investment alternatives.

Most Forwarded

• Georgia introduces HSA tax breaks

• Communicating the value of benefits helps offset anxiety of tough economic times

• EBN Industry inBrief – 5/15/08

• Going green is good business

• Dependant audits elicit growls from protective mama bear