Plaintiff's ERISA claim for denial of benefits fails because his health plan explicitly excludes Zepbound coverage, and his fiduciary duty claim lacks plausible allegations of breach.

Plaintiff claims defendant mismanaged pension funds as company president in violation of ERISA and fiduciary duties; court denied defendant's motion for judgment on pleadings and plaintiff's motions.

Many plan sponsors assume that once a retirement plan is established and service providers are hired, the plan will simply run itself. Unfortunately, that assumption is one of the reasons operational mistakes in retirement plans are far more common than most sponsors realize.... By: Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Fi…

On April 15, House Ways and Means Committee members Reps. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) introduced a bill, the Optimizing Participant Tax Incentives Through Optional Noncash Selections (OPTIONS) Act, which would codify and expand the IRS’ rulings in a 2024 private letter ruling that Groom Law Group o…

Great news for retirement plan participants who wish to make charitable distributions directly from their qualified plan accounts! A bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators have joined to co-sponsor the “Charity Parity Act,” which would allow qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from Code section 401(k), …

Each week while Congress is in session, our Policy team delivers a key update to highlight a topical benefits, health, or retirement news item from the Hill, such as a newly introduced bill, a summary of a committee hearing, or another hot-button matter. The partial government shutdown involving agencies under the Depa…

Eighty-five percent of California voters say that high costs of living and taxes create challenges in saving for retirement

The M&A market is expected to hit $4 trillion over the next 10 years, as droves of advisors retire and firms look to advance scale

New Fidelity Freedom Lifetime series will combine company’s target-date investing expertise with a guaranteed income option backed by Nationwide and New York Life

Spencer Fane attorney John L. Utz wrote the article DOL ERISA Enforcement Shift: What The New EBSA Guidance Means For Employers recently published by HR.com. In John’s article, which originated as a firm blog post, he reviews new Department of Labor guidance that updates how the agency will approach enforcement of the …

To understand Executive Order 14403, titled “Promoting Retirement-Savings Access for American Workers by Establishing TrumpIRA.gov,” issued by President Trump on April 30, 2026, it is helpful to understand the government’s ongoing journey to achieve greater retirement plan savings. With defined-contribution plans becom…

This LawFlash discusses recent developments on the US Department of Labor’s activities regarding ERISA violations, including the department’s stated intent to depart from “regulation by enforcement” and updates to its official enforcement priorities and statistics on enforcement accomplishments.... By: Morgan Lewis

The conversation around alternative assets in 401(k) plans is gaining momentum, driven by regulatory developments, product innovation, and a growing willingness among plan sponsors to consider broader investment options. To understand where things stand—and where they may be headed—it helps to start with the ERISA fram…

Minnesota’s Secure Choice Retirement Program has started registering employers, with the first of a phased schedule of registration deadlines set for June 30, 2026.... By: Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,

ISSUES AFFECTING ALL SCHEMES INHERITANCE TAX CHANGES - PROVISION OF INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS - HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has published draft regulations for consultation setting out the new provision of information requirements that will apply in relation to the changes to the inheritance tax (IHT) treatment of death…

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation intends to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend approval, under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of the collection of information on qualitative and quantitative feedback on PBGC's service delivery (OMB Control Number 1212-0066; expires October 31, 2026). Th…

Two critical deadlines are converging. Calendar year plans must adopt amendments reflecting the SECURE Act, CARES Act, and SECURE 2.0 by December 31, 2026 (with later deadlines for collectively bargained and governmental plans), and must complete pre-approved plan restatements within the current IRS cycle (anticipated …

Mayer Brown partners, Erin Cho and Rick Nowak, submitted a comment letter on behalf of the Coalition for Modern Retirement Solutions (“CMRS”) to the US Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration ("EBSA") in response to the Department’s proposed rule on Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Designated Inves…

The DOL's Proposed Safe Harbor and What It Means for Asset Managers, Advisers, and Plan Sponsors - On March 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a proposed rule titled "Fiduciary Duties in Selecting Designated Investment Alternatives" (the Proposed Rule), which would establish a process-based safe harb…

This request for information (RFI) seeks public input to support CMS' comprehensive review of the Essential Health Benefits (EHB) framework and the requirement under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act) that the scope of EHB be equal to the scope of benefits provided under a typical empl…

New Financial Finesse research finds deskless workers experience higher financial stress levels than office-based employees, but accessible financial wellness support turns the tide

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are gaining prominence as organizations seek new ways to strengthen culture, attract talent and demonstrate measurable social impact. The post From Wellness Programs to Workforce Strategy: How Volunteerism Impacts Workforce Well-Being and Resilience appeared first on Wo…

On May 10, 2026, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the “Departments”) jointly proposed a rule that would create a new category of “excepted fertility benefits” under federal law (the “Proposed Rule”). The Proposed Rule represents the most significant federal regulatory action on fertili…

The final rule updates IDR operations under the No Surprises Act — with new requirements for claims processing, negotiations and plan compliance.

The DOL has issued new guidance outlining the EBSA’s enforcement priorities, alongside the 2025 MHPAEA report to Congress, which was jointly filed by DOL, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of the Treasury (collectively, the “Departments”). Together, these materials signal a reset in regula…

On May 20, 2026, Governor Spanberger signed SB 199/HB 5, a new statewide Paid Sick Leave (“PSL”) program (“Act”). Virginia previously required PSL only for home health workers (codified Va. Code §§ 40.1‑33.3 through 40.1‑33.6). SB 199/HB 5 significantly expands coverage to nearly all employees in the Commonwealth. Key …

Governor Abigail Spanberger recently signed HB 1207 (the “Act”), establishing a new paid family and medical leave (PFML) insurance program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a result, Virginia will become the 16th state to provide PFML for private-sector employees.... By: Epstein Becker & Green

As summer arrives and employees across Connecticut head out on vacation, paid time off (PTO) and vacation time can take on different meanings depending on who you ask. For employees, days they haven’t used yet can feel like earned compensation sitting in the bank.... By: Littler

Miller Johnson employment attorneys Rebecca Strauss and Sarah Willey discuss the growing workplace challenges created by employees who are caring for aging parents, often while still raising children themselves. As the “sandwich generation” becomes more common, HR professionals are increasingly navigating complex leave…

Chicago’s Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance requires employers to provide covered employees with up to 40 hours of Paid Leave that can be used for any reason and up to 40 hours of Paid Sick Leave annually. The City of Chicago’s updated Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance rules provide empl…

On June 5, 2026, the Treasury Department and IRS issued IRS Notice 2026-36 (the “Notice”), announcing that proposed regulations under IRC Section 4960 are imminent. As background, Section 4960 imposes a 21% excise tax on applicable tax-exempt organizations (“ATEOs”) that pay covered employees remuneration in excess of …

The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed amendments that would substantially expand the availability of scaled executive compensation disclosure and related proxy voting relief for many public companies. The proposal is part of a broader effort to reduce public-company compliance burdens and make the public …

On May 19, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rule amendments that would significantly simplify executive compensation disclosure requirements for many public companies. The proposed rules would split public companies into large accelerated filers and non-accelerated filers. Non-accelerated fil…

In its May 31, 2026, report on Executive Compensation and Corporate Governance, leading independent research firm Green Street Advisors highlights numerous favorable trends in the public REIT sector.... By: Goodwin

Let’s not overcomplicate it. A federal court wiped out the 2024 Retirement Security Rule, and the Department of Labor responded the only way it really could—by reverting to the old five-part fiduciary test. That’s not reform. That’s not progress. That’s hitting rewind and pretending the last few years were just a bad s…

Following a wave of high‑profile settlements involving large defined benefit pension plans, including Raytheon (which settled for around $59 million) and CITGO (which settled for around $10 million), and as they await litigation outcomes in pending MetLife and Southern Company Services cases, now is a good time for emp…

The United States Supreme Court recently ruled unanimously that the actuary for a multiemployer pension plan (“MPP”) may select actuarial assumptions used to calculate withdrawal liability after the measurement date, provided that the assumptions are reasonable, take into account the experience of the plan and reasonab…

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury recently published proposed regulations aimed at expanding employer-provided access to fertility benefits. The Proposed Regulations implement President Donald Trump’s February 2025 Executive Order 14216, Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization, which …

Learn about the newly proposed requirements for excepted fertility benefits, the design and cost flexibilities available to employers, and the key uncertainties to be resolved in today's blog. The post Excepted Fertility Benefits Proposed Rule: Key Takeaways for Employers appeared first on Word on Benefits .

Plan consultants and aggregators list key investment trends among clients in the next year in PIMCO findings

Many plan sponsors believe that once they hire a recordkeeper, TPA, or investment advisor, their fiduciary responsibilities are largely taken care of. While service providers certainly help manage the plan, there is one fiduciary duty that plan sponsors can never fully delegate: the responsibility to monitor those prov…

Rising stop-loss premiums and more high-cost claims are reshaping risk for self-funded plans — see key trends from Segal’s 2026 dataset.

Connecticut recently enacted a pay transparency law requiring employers to include a pay range and general description of benefits in all job postings.... By: Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP