Opinions

Opinions |

Seasonal Employees Under the PPACA

June 14, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - How are seasonal employees treated for purposes of the PPACA "play or pay" mandate that requires employers to pay penalties if they do...

Opinions |

IMHO: “Smoke” Signals

June 7, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Plan sponsors spend a lot of time wondering – and worrying – about the “right” way to do things. 
Opinions |

Rescissions Under the PPACA

June 7, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - There have been quite a few questions on the new rescission rule under PPACA and how the rule applies in many practical situations,...

Opinions |

IMHO: Loan Arranging

May 24, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The headlines last week were all about how new legislation had been introduced to cut down on the “leakage” from 401(k)...

Opinions |

Provider Fail?

May 20, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) - Recently a (b)lines reader sent a question to our Ask the Experts panel asking if her employer, a plan sponsor, or its...
Opinions |

A Retirement Plan Approach to Health Care

May 13, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) - After some initial groaning by 403(b) plan sponsors following passage of the 2007 regulations, many decided to move forward positively with the...
Opinions |

IMHO: Out of Proportion

May 11, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Without question the retirement plan industry has prospered from the long-standing practice of relying heavily – and in some situations,...

Opinions |

PPACA and Wellness Programs

May 10, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Following PPACA, employers are even more interested in encouraging healthy behaviors and decreasing health care costs through wellness programs. 
Opinions |

Form 5500 Reporting – A Review

May 10, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Before 2009, Form 5500 reporting for ERISA 403(b) plans was very limited.  Beginning with the 2009 plan year that reporting expanded in several...
Opinions |

Two Sides to Every Story

May 6, 2011 – (PLANSPONSOR (b)lines) - Recently, I found myself at odds with myself. As a Senior Editor at PLANSPONSOR, I tend to view things from the...
Opinions |

IMHO: The Enemy of the Good?

May 4, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Over the past couple of years 401(k) evaluation service BrightScope has made quite a splash. 
Opinions |

Where’s the Alpha?

May 4, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - In funding public sector defined benefit plans, the average assumed rate of return on assets held in trust to pay benefits is 8%. ...
Opinions |

The 401(k) Myth

May 3, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Among the calls for “reform” in pension benefits for governmental employees it is fairly common to hear policy makers say, “We cannot ask...