Benefits

According to retirement experts, the employer-first mentality is a thing of the past.

 The asset manager’s eighth annual pension themes report noted that many defined benefit plans are diversifying and seeking increased returns.

For Q1 overall, the funded status of the largest 100 U.S. corporate defined benefit plans improved by $6 billion, per Milliman.

Speakers broke down key requirements of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 for health benefit plan sponsors.

Data from a Pentegra survey show most advisers link pooled employer plans to improvements in overall plan quality.

Mississippi enacts the newest state-run program, while Tennessee lawmakers change gears, substituting a measure to have the state serve as a custodian for federal Trump Accounts.

Younger plan members want ‘bullet points,’ while pre-retirees want ‘long form’ advice, one award-winning plan sponsor says.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, the interruptions ‘will not affect the benefits of future or current retirees’ as it deals with mounting costs and uncertain long-term stability.

The era of one-size-fits-all benefits may be fading, but it is far from gone.

Experts share how plan data can help drive sustainable outcomes.

Fewer workers, older employees and widening skill gaps are forcing companies to fundamentally redefine what it means to support employees.

Plan sponsors should demonstrate awareness, share updates and show a willingness to help borrowers, according to financial wellness experts.

Over the last decade, cash balance plans in the U.S. increased by nearly 70%, while traditional DB plans fell by more than 50%, per October Three.

Plan closures, persistent asset leakage and growing disparities in costs and coverage underly an industry that exceeded $10 trillion in assets at the end of 2024.  

Higher interest rates and stock market returns push some barometers to highest level in nearly 25 years.

Morningstar interpreted its data as showing they are not doing it for fear of running out of money.

The Hoosier state is the first in the U.S. to require digital assets be an investment option in public defined contribution plans via a brokerage window. 

The awards honor public pension fund staff members who excelled in 2025.

Holistic weight management programs and direct-to-employer pricing models can mitigate plan sponsors’ spending on weight management medication.

New data demonstrate the issue’s considerable reach and impact on finances.