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| Benefits & Administration |
| Nuances of 403(b) Plan Investment Menus |
| It’s not the only corner of the retirement
planning market impacted by misunderstandings and half-truths, but managing
403(b) plan investment menus effectively requires some serious know-how. Historically
bound to purchasing individual annuity contracts, today ERISA 403(b) plans can
still be set up as individual annuity contracts through an insurance company,
but there are other forms the plans can take under the reformed IRS
regulations.Read more > |
| The funded status of U.S. pension plans improved
in the second quarter of 2015, with the deficit declining by $81 billion for
the quarter, according to an analysis by Aon Hewitt.Read more > |
| Are Retirement Savings Rates Reined by Limits? |
| Perhaps people are being reined in from saving
as much as they’d like by the current contribution limits on 401(k) plans, if
they are even aware of the limits in the first place. “Do Catch-Up
Contributions Increase 401(k) Saving?,” from the Center for Retirement Research
at Boston College, seeks to explore savings behaviors and how many retirement
plan participants in 401(k) plans actually save the maximum amount allowed.Read more > |
| The estimated aggregate funding level of pension
plans sponsored by S&P 1500 companies improved by 1% to 84% as of June 30,
according to Mercer. Increases in interest rates used to calculate corporate
pension plan liabilities made up for poor equity market performance, Mercer
said.Read more > |
| Multiemployer Health Plans Have Cost Savings Options |
| In the five years since the Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law, many multiemployer health plan
sponsors have implemented cost-containment strategies. A study of multiemployer
health plan clients by Segal Consulting revealed the most popular
cost-management strategies that plans have implemented are soliciting
competitive bids from carriers/vendors (40%), implementing more intensive
pharmacy management programs (34%) and increasing copayments (32%). “The study
suggests plan sponsors have additional options and opportunities for managing
the high cost of health care beyond increasing participant cost sharing,” says
Andrew Sherman, senior vice president at Segal.Read more > |
