Opinions

Opinions | July 27th, 2010

What About PPACA’s Restrictions on Pre-Existing Conditions?

July 27, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Department of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury recently published a new Interim Final Rule addressing several provisions of the Patient...

Opinions | July 20th, 2010

IMHO: Not-So-Quiet Period

July 20, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Remember when it used to be quiet in July?

Opinions | July 20th, 2010

What Does the Interim Final Rule Mean for Grandfathered Plans?

July 20, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - On June 14, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Internal Revenue Service released their highly-anticipated...

Opinions | July 14th, 2010

IMHO: “Thinking” Caps

July 14, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - While the spate of revenue-sharing suits has—for the moment, anyway—faded into the background, fees remain one of the most hotly...

Opinions | July 13th, 2010

Recent DOMA Rulings Have Implications for Employee Benefit Plans

July 13, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - On July 8, 2010, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued two separate decisions declaring the federal Defense of Marriage...

Opinions | July 13th, 2010

What Are the Implications of the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program?

July 13, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - On June 29, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") began accepting applications for the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program ("ERRP").

Opinions | July 12th, 2010

How Much Is Too Much?

I want to go on record by saying that I believe in America, I think 401(k) plans are a good idea, lower fees are better...

Opinions | July 8th, 2010

403(b) Webcast Series: Plan Design Best Practices

The new 403(b) regulations have left plan sponsors with a list of important priorities: reducing costs, simplifying administration, mitigating fiduciary risk, providing better retirement for employees, as well...

Opinions | July 7th, 2010

IMHO: Prudent Mien?

July 7, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Anyone who has been paying attention to 401(k) plan litigation these past several years knows that a common trigger—perhaps the most common...

Opinions | July 6th, 2010

What are the PPACA’s Restrictions on Coverage Rescission?

July 6, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - On June 28, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury published a new Interim Final Rule (IFR) addressing several...

Opinions | July 6th, 2010

How to Keep Retirement Savings on Track after a Layoff

July 6, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) - Many school districts and nonprofits have been forced to make staff cuts to meet budgeting needs during the economic downturn. This harsh...

Opinions | July 1st, 2010

IMHO: “Free” Wills

Over the weekend I reacquainted myself with that episode of the HBO miniseries “John Adams” titled “Independence.”

Opinions | June 29th, 2010

What Will the PPACA Mean for HRAs, HSAs, and FSAs?

June 29, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) makes several changes to the rules that apply to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Flexible Spending...

Opinions | June 24th, 2010

IMHO: QDIA Essentials

June 24, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - PLANSPONSOR’s National Conference last week featured a series of panels titled “Five Things You Need to Know About…” focused on...

Opinions | June 22nd, 2010

How Should Employers Handle the New W-2 Reporting Requirements?

June 22, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Section 9002 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA") requires employers to disclose the aggregate cost of "applicable employer-sponsored coverage" on...

Opinions | June 15th, 2010

Inside the Retiree Reinsurance Program

June 15, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA") creates a program designed to help employers with the costs associated with providing retiree health...

Opinions | June 14th, 2010

IMHO: “Left” Field

I participate in a number of LinkedIn groups (and “sponsor” a couple).

Opinions | June 10th, 2010

“Going” Concerns

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” or so goes the old saying.

Opinions | June 8th, 2010

Digging Deeper Into the New Adult Children Coverage Rules

June 8, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Two weeks ago this column addressed new regulations related to coverage of adult children to age 26.

Opinions | June 3rd, 2010

IMHO: Compliance “Deportment”

June 3, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it was sending a questionnaire out to about a thousand 401(k) plan sponsors.