Author Archive

With Americans living longer and retiring later, saving for retirement has become more important than ever. Yet, too many employees are still not covered by employer plans, and most of those who are covered don’t contribute enough for a stable retirement.

Saving for a secure retirement may seem simple – you put away a certain amount with each paycheck and let it grow until you retire.
SECURE ACT TAKES AIM AT THE RETIREMENT SAVINGS GAP
February 25th, 2020 by Carol Buckmann

Many studies have shown that Americans are not saving enough for retirement. A surprising number of employees still do not even have access to a 401(k) savings plan.
Can Your Plan Records Be Hacked? Plan Fiduciaries Need to Focus on Cybersecurity
December 5th, 2019 by Carol Buckmann

Imagine you have a plan participant who suddenly finds that $99,000 has been stolen from her account by a hacker. Her only notice was confirmations she received after the money had been stolen.
The Educated Fiduciary: Why Plan Sponsors Should Send Their Committee Members to School
May 2nd, 2019 by Carol Buckmann

Becoming an ERISA fiduciary doesn’t require any specific experience or certification. You don’t even need to acknowledge that you are a fiduciary. If you act like a fiduciary – such as by selecting investments or ruling on participant claims – you are one. It’s that simple.
Is New Pension Law on the Horizon?
November 19th, 2018 by Carol Buckmann

With the mid-term elections behind us, I see reason to be optimistic that a post-election pension bill could be passed by year-end. Two bills, the Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act (RESA) and the Family Savings Act, have broad support in Congress and could be folded into any year-end tax bill.
The Fiduciary Rule May Be Dead, But Fiduciary Responsibility Isn’t
July 12th, 2018 by Carol Buckmann

It finally happened. The Fiduciary Rule officially died on June 21 when the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals formally entered its order vacating the Rule. The Trump Department of Labor (DOL) declined to either file for a rehearing or request Supreme Court review.