Exciting Update: Self-Correction for Delinquent Contributions Now Possible Under the DOL’s VFCP
DOL Expands Fiduciary Obligations for Cybersecurity to Health and Welfare Plans
A little more than three years ago, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) posted cybersecurity guidance on its website for ERISA plan fiduciaries. That guidance extended only to ERISA-covered retirement plans, despite health and welfare plans facing similar risks to participant data.
Last Friday, the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued Compliance Assistance Release
Why Retirement Plan Sponsors and Fiduciaries Need to Know about the SEC Cybersecurity Amendments
In 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued cybersecurity guidance for ERISA-covered retirement plans. The guidance expands the duties retirement plan fiduciaries have when selecting service providers. Specifically, the DOL makes clear that when selecting retirement plan service providers, plan fiduciaries must prudently assess the cybersecurity of those providers.
On May 15, 2024, the
DOL’s Controversial Retirement Security Rule Faces Immediate Legal Challenge
On April 23, 2024, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued updates to the investment advice fiduciary regulation, formally called the “Retirement Security Rule” and generally referred to as the “DOL Fiduciary Rule.” These updates, generally effective September 23, 2024 (a one-year transition period extends the effective date for some provisions into 2025), will
Should We Submit Missing Participant Data to the DOL with the Plan’s Form 5500?
If the U.S. Department of Labor’s Notice of Proposed Information Collection Request, issued on April 15, 2024, becomes final, fiduciary retirement plan committees may be asked to evaluate the important question of whether the plan should voluntarily submit missing participant data to the DOL before filing the next Form 5500. The DOL is seeking
A Current Roadmap for Complying with Mental Health Parity Requirement
Most employers know that if a group health plan provides mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits in any of six specified classifications, the plan must provide MH/SUD benefits in all specified classifications in which the plan provides medical or surgical (M/S) benefits. Additionally, the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addition Equity Act (MHPAEA)
The National Emergency Ends…. But Wait, There’s More!
We previously wrote about President Biden’s announcement to end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and National Emergency (NE) periods on May 11, 2023, and the practical ramifications for employer group health plan sponsors as they administer COBRA, special enrollment, and other related deadlines tied to the end of the NE. As discussed, this action
SECURE 2.0 Series Part 8: New Lost and Found Program and an Increase to the Dollar Limit on Mandatory Distributions
Welcome to Part 8 of our series about the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) (our other articles may be found on our JL Employee Benefits Blog Post Page). Among the many changes within SECURE 2.0 are two provisions that may help employers reduce the number of retirement plan accounts of terminated vested
ESG Considerations for Retirement Plans: A Moving Target
For those with an eye on ERISA and its fiduciary rules, the past few years have caused whiplash when it comes to environmental, social, and corporate governance (“ESG”) investments in retirement plans. With a new rule from the Department of Labor imminent, let’s review where we are, how we got here, and what’s next.
ERISA