One safe harbor that many employers take advantage of is voluntary benefits programs that are exempt from ERISA. These voluntary plans can offer a variety of benefits to employees, but in order to be exempt, businesses must be careful to follow all requirements to meet the safe harbor provision. A recent case, McCann v. Unum Provident, argued last October before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Read More

The Department of Labor (DOL) is busy this year focusing on both regulating and identifying missing participants in multiple employer plans (MEPs). This past October, DOL published a proposed rule that attempts to make it easier to offer an association retirement plan as well as clearly delineate required disclosures for participants. While the rule may still face changes, it gives us a good idea of what to expect Read More

If your organization has hired anyone who has graduated from higher education in the recent past, you’re probably aware that they are much more concerned with paying off high-interest student loans than saving for a far more distant retirement. Indeed, interest rates on student loans are so high in some cases it doesn’t make financial sense to save at a lower interest rate, even if your business has a tax-advantaged Read More