Compliance

The president said he was ‘not a huge fan’ of his own administration’s floated proposal to allow penalty-free withdrawals from 401(k)s for house down payments.

As the comment period approaches for the Department of Labor’s long-awaited rule on defined contribution plan investments in alternative asset classes, experts say the guidance will try to...

Despite previous proposed cuts, under the latest version, the agency would receive the same funding as last year.

Justices’ questions suggested skepticism toward employers’ push for a hard year-end cutoff in withdrawal liability calculations in multiemployer plans. 

A federal district court sided with the employer that it lawfully used forfeited retirement funds to offset its own contribution.

Justices will review a long-running complaint that has implications for future ERISA litigation.

Plan administrators should use the guidance to provide participants with the applicable explanations.

Participants with at least $500 in vested funds will have the option to convert any part of their balance into Roth savings.

The move aligns with EBSA Head Daniel Aronowitz’s pledge to ‘end the war’ on employee stock ownership plans.

The legislation would alter the standard for fiduciaries considering environmental, social and governance when making investment decisions.

The agency beat the 180-day deadline to provide guidance following an August 2025 executive order.

The Massachusetts Democrat has been critical of adding private investments, including digital assets, to retirement plans.

The federal court in the Southern District of New York found no standing or fiduciary breach in a challenge to a $5.7 billion annuity deal.

According to the Department of Labor, the plaintiffs lack standing, and it warns litigation could have negative effects on defined benefit plans.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and 3 executive orders signed in 2025 helped shape this year’s edition.

The department had previously supported employers in a similar legal case last July.

The ruling requires plaintiffs to meet a higher factual bar before discovery, using a Supreme Court ruling-inspired workaround to screen retirement plan litigation.

The participants in the ERISA loss causation complaint chose to abandon the case just two days before the nation’s highest court was scheduled to consider hearing the case.

Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling also promised on Wednesday to deliver a new rule on the inclusion of private assets in defined contribution plans.

Witnesses from both industry and academia urged Congress to expand retirement income options in 401(k)s — while calling for clear guardrails and transparency.