Happy weekend, PLANSPONSOR readers! This week we’ll be focusing on financial wellness and participant education. According to a Financial Finesse survey, participants repeatedly engaging in financial wellness programs offered by their employer are more likely to be on track for retirement and have higher confidence in their investments. Next, some companies are executing new participant education communications—behavioral economics. The education method merges psychology and economics to understand specific decisions, says the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP). Employees are also crediting health savings accounts (HSAs) and wellness programs for empowering them to make better health and financial decisions, and employers are looking to offer total well-being programs rather than solely physical. All this and more on this edition of PLANSPONSOR Weekend.

The plaintiffs say the plan’s terms reduce benefits using “Early Retirement Factors” and “Joint and Survivor Annuity Factors” which result in plan participants receiving less than the actuarial equivalent of their vested accrued benefit, as required by ERISA.

Based on the conversations industry advocates are having in Washington, none of the leadership in the Senate or the House opposes passage of the SECURE Act.

Employees not only need basic education, but they need to know how to include Social Security in their retirement income strategy.

Employers are encouraging the use of biosimilars instead of specialty pharmacy products, creating an environment that makes it clear and easy for employees to opt for high-value services, and engaging effective programs to help manage anxiety and stress.

The Retirement Savings Selector Tool for Small Businesses was created to help small businesses identify a retirement savings option that may be a fit for their business by answering a few quick and easy questions.

Editorial: Alison Cooke Mintzer alison.mintzer@strategic-i.com

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