Let’s face it. Annuities generally are not well received in much of the retirement plan adviser community. From the historical impression that “annuities are sold, not bought;” to some advisers perceived baggage associated with being that ghastly “licensed insurance agent;” to the historically “salty” nature of a number of retail annuities; there is a lingering
One of the inevitable results of Congress’s failure to cobble together some sort of compromise on what the most suitable “Securities Fix” would be for the 403(b) CIT is a flurry of activity to find some way to craft a solution which would permit 403(b) plans’ investments in 81-100 trusts without a statutory fix. From
The ERISA marketplace is complex, with a plethora of different sorts of arrangements which will be affected in a variety of different ways by the new Fiduciary Prohibited Transaction Exemption. In general, however, I would be little surprised if it ending up being that not many parties will have the need to take advantage of this new exemption.
Continue Reading The DOL’s Fiduciary Rule Prohibited Transaction Exemption May Only Be Needed In Limited Plan Circumstances
It is worth now considering of the impact of 2008 MOU between the SEC and the DOL on fiduciary enforcement, with the publication of the SEC’s new Reg IB on fiduciary duties and the suggestions from EBSA that a a new fiduciary rule will be closely related to that of the SEC. What will happen where you have two broadly empowered federal agencies working from what may be the same playbook (or at least very similar ones), where you already have a well established, coordinated cross-enforcement structure in place?
Continue Reading Will the DOL/SEC’s 2008 “Memorandum of Understanding” Achieve New Gravitas After Reg IB?
The Portman-Cardin Bill, the “Retirement Security and Savings Act of 2019,” introduces sweeping changes to 403(b) plans by expanding their investment universe. These changes, however, also required modification to the Securities Laws otherwise applicable to 403(b) plans in order for them to work. A few, critical, issues have gone unanswered in the legislation, and there are a number of transition issues which we will have to be addressed.
Continue Reading Sweeping 403(b) Changes in Portman-Cardin Legislation Leaves Unanswered Questions
The SEC proposed Rule 30e-3 3 this past June which will fundamentally rework the manner in which mutual fund prospectuses and other fund reports are delivered to shareholders. This proposed rule, if made final, would effectively make electronic delivery of these reports the default-much in the same way as currently being proposed for the electronic delivery for required ERISA notices.This impacts 403(b) and 401(a) operations, as well as efforts to make ERISA e-delivery a default.
Continue Reading SEC Proposed “Modernization” Of Fund Report Delivery Rules Impacts Both 403(b) and 401(a) Plans
IRAs, for whatever reason, are stealthily changing the retirement future. When you look closely at their structures, they can be designed to be incredibly flexible (though often “off-the-shelf” IRAs are not). There are a number of major “houses” which provide the technical and legal support for “plug and play” investment arrangements (though, admittedly, there are a few SEC rules which need to be changed to make them really work well). They provide a personal platform through which retirees can consolidate their assets in a way which can better serve their retirement in ways an employer sponsored DC or DB plan cannot.
Continue Reading Is Lifetime Income’s Future-and, Ultimately, That of Retirement Security- Through the IRA?
Chuck Thulin, a fine ERISA attorney from Seattle, WA, chaired the DOL practitioner panel at the latest (and very successful) annual meeting of the 5 regional TE/GE Councils, in Baltimore. When I commented that we’d “been there, done that” when discussing some obscure rule, he told me of reading of the Russian language version of
A few weeks ago, I blogged on the important role that the Securities Compliance Officer may play in 408(b)(2) compliance. I touched on some of the securities rules which apply to retirement plans outside of the executive compensation context. Attached is a more htorough explanation of those rules, which can hopefully be useful as we