• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Affiliate Login
  • Join Our Network
  • Affiliate News
  • Lawyer Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Contact Us
  • Our Feeds

Employment Law Information Network

All Things Labor and Employment Law

Get Our Daily or Weekly Newsletter!
Articles • Alerts • Expert Advice
Daily Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

  • Federal Articles
  • State Articles
  • HR News
  • HR Events
  • Human Resources
    • HR Guidebook
    • HR Policy Samples
    • Employment Contracts
  • Discussion Forums
  • About Us
Home > Federal Law Articles > Employee Benefits > 401(k)

Articles Discussing 401(k) Plans.

BlackRock 401(k) Plan Class Action Headed for Trial

January 18, 2021 | Jackson Lewis Filed Under: 401(k)

Jackson Lewis

A class action alleging that BlackRock entities favored their own proprietary funds when selecting investment options for BlackRock’s 401(k) Plan is headed for trial after Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. denied both parties’ motions for summary judgment on January 12, 2021. Baird v. BlackRock Inst’l. Trust Co., No. 17-1892 (N.D.


“Defined Contribution Plans, Section 401(k) Plans: Tax Aspects,” Bloomberg Law Benefits Guide

November 12, 2020 | Jones Walker Filed Under: 401(k)

Susan Chambers, a partner in the Tax Practice Group in the New Orleans office, and Linda Bounds Keng, a partner in the firm’s Tax Practice Group in the Jackson office, authored the chapter titled “Defined Contribution Plans, Section 401(k) Plans: Tax Aspects” in the Bloomberg Law Benefits Guide.

401(k) Plan Sponsors—Do You Need to Start Tracking Hours for Your Part-Time Employees?

October 21, 2020 | Ogletree Deakins Filed Under: 401(k)

At the end of 2019, President Donald Trump signed into law the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, which included a number of changes to employer-sponsored retirement plans. One change involved expanding the ability of long-term, part-time employees to make 401(k) deferral contributions. While this change becomes

Department of Labor Releases Guidance for 401(k) Plan Investments in Private Equity

July 22, 2020 | Jones Walker Filed Under: 401(k), DOL

Last month the US Department of Labor (Department) issued an Information Letter stating that it is possible for individual account plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to offer limited private equity investments in a manner that complies with ERISA, provided certain suitability issues are considered by plan fiduciaries. The Information Letter confirms that a plan fiduciary would not violate ERISA fiduciary duties “solely because the fiduciary offers a professionally managed asset allocation fund with a private equity component.” Similarly, the Information Letter confirms that fiduciaries may offer private equity as a small component of an ERISA plan’s diversified investment option, like a target date fund, a target risk fund, or a balanced fund.

Suspending Safe Harbor Contributions Mid-Year: A Primer for Employers

May 28, 2020 | Ogletree Deakins Filed Under: 401(k)

As cash flow and decreased revenue concerns rise, many employers are looking for ways to cut costs. This article generally identifies the circumstances that allow a safe harbor 401(k) plan sponsor to suspend safe harbor contributions and the related consequences of such suspensions.

COVID-19 And Late Remittances of Employee Deferrals to 401(k) Plans

May 15, 2020 | Jackson Lewis Filed Under: 401(k)

Jackson Lewis

Many employers facing economic challenges because of COVID-19 have considered several possibilities for reducing their contributions to their 401(k) plans.  Whether freezing safe harbor matching or nonelective contributions or deciding against making discretionary matching and/or profit-sharing contributions, the goal has been the same: reduce their employee benefits costs.

What many

Northrup Grumman Agrees to Settle 401(k) Excessive Fee Suit

April 29, 2020 | Jackson Lewis Filed Under: 401(k)

Jackson Lewis

Northrop Grumman has agreed to pay $12,375,000 to settle a class action brought under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) by participants in its 401(k) plan. The parties reached the initial terms of this settlement last year minutes before the start of the trial.

In Private Letter Ruling, IRS Approves 401(k) Student Loan Repayment Benefit

April 29, 2020 | Jackson Lewis Filed Under: 401(k)

Jackson Lewis

The IRS has released a Private Letter Ruling (“PLR”) 201833012, in which it approved a student loan repayment program as a 401(k) benefit. Although the PLR can only be applied by the taxpayer/plan sponsor requesting it, it is a promising development for employers seeking to provide stronger incentives for a workforce increasingly saddled with student loan debt.

401(k) and 403(b) Plan Hardship Distribution Substantiation: What Will the IRS Be Looking For?

April 29, 2020 | Jackson Lewis Filed Under: 401(k)

Jackson Lewis

On February 23 and March 7, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued memoranda to examination agents addressing review of substantiation provided in support of safe harbor hardship distributions under 401(k) and 403(b) plans. Although the memoranda cannot be relied upon as official guidance, they are good reference points to help plan sponsors and third party administrators (“TPAs”) avoid issues on audit.

Will Your Forfeiture Account Disqualify Your 401(k) Plan?

April 29, 2020 | Jackson Lewis Filed Under: 401(k)

Jackson Lewis

In the last six months, several clients called me regarding substantial balances in a so-called “forfeiture account” in their 401(k) plans. A few of these clients have forfeiture accounts that violate the ERISA requirements. It is imperative that forfeitures be handled properly since both the IRS and the Department of Labor (DOL) on audit generally review how forfeitures have been handled by the plan.

Deadline for Restating Your 401(k) Plan May Be Around the Corner

April 29, 2020 | Jackson Lewis Filed Under: 401(k)

Jackson Lewis

Preapproved (prototype or volume submitter) defined contribution plans must be restated for the Pension Protection Act by April 30, 2016.

IRS Publishes 401(K) Contribution Limit Increases for 2020

November 6, 2019 | Littler Filed Under: 401(k)

Littler

It’s that time of year again. On November 6, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced cost-of-living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for the 2020 tax year. These limits include both employee and employer contribution limits.

Victory for NYU After First Trial in the 401(k) Fee Cases Filed Against Colleges and Universities

August 12, 2018 | Littler Filed Under: 401(k)

Littler

In the past two years, more than 16 prominent colleges and universities across the country have been targeted by class action lawsuits filed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) challenging the fees and investment lineups in the schools’ retirement plans. On July 31, 2018, a New York federal court issued an opinion and order in favor of NYU in the first of those cases to proceed to trial, Sacerdote v. New York University.1 As the first case to consider the merits of the claims asserted in these ERISA class actions, Sacerdote is not only a significant victory for NYU but also for the other colleges and universities defending similar suits.2

401(k) Fee Litigation: Coming to a District Court Near You…

May 23, 2018 | Nexsen Pruet Filed Under: 401(k)

Until recently, the Carolinas were relatively immune to litigation surrounding alleged excessiveness of 401(k) plan fees. But last month in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, employees of big-box retailer Lowe’s filed a complaint alleging that the company’s fiduciary decisions to replace certain investments funds with a “largely untested” and “underperforming” alternative caused the loss of millions of dollars in potential earnings for plan participants. While fiduciary actions are common during economic downturns, this matter – coupled with the development of relevant case law – suggests that allegations involving 401(k) plan costs and lost investment opportunities may become just as common during a boom.

New Compliance Questions in IRS Form 5500 Warrant Screening Reviews of 401(K) Plans During 2016

March 11, 2016 | Littler Filed Under: 401(k)

Littler

The IRS recently added new questions to the 2015 Form 5500/5500-SF annual retirement plan returns. The Form 5500-Series returns are used by retirement plans to report the financial condition, investments, and operations of the plans to the DOL and IRS. When the new IRS compliance questions were originally introduced, the IRS described the questions as optional for plan year 2015. However, in its most recent instructions, the IRS has specifically advised plan sponsors not to complete these questions for the 2015 plan year. The IRS decision to delay completion is due to privacy and misreporting concerns raised by retirement plan administrators and advisors.

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Employee Benefits Article Index

  • 401(k) (18)
  • 403(b) (5)
  • Cafeteria Plans (2)
  • COLA (4)
  • Deferred Compensation (3)
  • Defined Benefit Plans (2)
  • Domestic Partners (4)
  • Employee Coverage (7)
  • ERISA (58)
  • Executive Compensation (13)
  • FICA (3)
  • Fiduciary (15)
  • Form 5500 (8)
  • General (Benefits) (146)
  • Health Care Reform (135)
  • HIPAA (31)
  • HSAs (4)
  • Multi-Employer Plans (28)
  • Retiree Benefits (26)
C-Screen

Site Search

Connect With Us!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Phone
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Article Calander

January 2021
SMTWTFS
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31 
« Dec    

Trending Content

  • Employee Discipline Policy
  • Introduction To Employee Handbook Policy
  • Job Vacancy Announcement
  • Employee Locker Policy
  • Workplace Privacy and Confidentiality
  • Confidential Information, Non-Disclosure Provision
  • Conditional Offer Letter
  • Attendance Policy
  • FMLA Policy
  • Business Ethics And Conduct Policy

Footer

Social Profiles

RSSTwitterFacebookLinkedin

Tags

ABC News (5) Benefits Pro (6) Bloomberg (105) Brookings (5) Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP (6) CNBC (18) CNN (29) Crain's (4) EEOC (65) employee handbooks (5) Entrepreneur (19) Evil HR Lady (127) Fast Company (34) Forbes (131) Fortune (5) Franczek (5) Goldberg Segala (7) GovExec (11) Harvard Business Review (131) Inc. (11) Jackson Lewis (29) Law.com (27) Littler (43) Los Angeles Times (6) MarketWatch (6) NBC (24) New York City (11) New York Magaine (8) New York Post (6) New York Times (167) NPR (35) Politico (11) Reuters (11) Richmond Times Dispatch (11) Sacramento (4) San Francisco (8) SHRM (10) Slate (6) The Atlantic (6) The Cut (5) USA Today (18) US News (22) Wall Street Journal (81) Washington Post (32) Yahoo News (6)

Navigation

  • Federal Articles
  • State Articles
  • HR News
  • HR Events
  • Human Resources
    • HR Guidebook
    • HR Policy Samples
    • Employment Contracts
  • Discussion Forums
  • About Us
Log In

Privacy Policy, Disclaimers & Copyright
elinfonet.com, LLC • P.O. Box 45, Chinchilla, PA 18410 • 570-301-6277 • info@elinfonet.com