Compass Articles
Survey Findings: Six Key Trends for 2026
Three major recent industry surveys, Fidelity, Vanguard and the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), highlight …
Special Edition: Proxy Practices Could Shift Under New Executive Order
On December 11, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) to end what he called “the outsized influence …
Know the Numbers: IRS Retirement Limits Explained
Each year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updates a complex set of contribution and benefit limits to take into …
Navigating AI in Retirement Plan Administration
Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands to be a transformative technology in the workplace and is fast emerging as an …
Final Catch-Up Regulation Published
On September 15, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Treasury Department released a final regulation …
Uncashed Retirement Distribution Checks
While retirement plan balances of terminated participants above $7,000 can remain in the plan, small balances …
Special Edition Compass: Executive Order Could Open Door for Alternative Investments in DC Plans
On August 7, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) directing the Secretary of Labor to, among …
(Even) Where There’s a Will… Beneficiary Designations Rule
One of the more commonly overlooked aspects of saving in a workplace retirement plan is designating a …
Special Edition Compass: (How) Does That “Big, Beautiful Bill” Impact Retirement Savings?
Intense last-minute negotiations allowed both houses of Congress to pass the so-called One Big Beautiful …
A Reset on Cryptocurrency Guidance
The rise of digital currencies as an investment vehicle has captured the attention of both institutional …
Navigating ERISA: Prohibited Transactions and Their Exemptions
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Cunningham v. Cornell University reinforces a key takeaway for …
Compass Special Edition: Supreme Court Sides with Plaintiffs
A case that has been closely watched by the retirement industry has a long-awaited outcome. Industry …
Vested Interests
Historically, vesting schedules have been a strategic tool for employers to balance the costs of retirement …
What’s the Alternative(s)?
Defined benefit (DB) plans have long benefited from the alpha and broader diversification associated with …
Understanding the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently updated its Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP). The updates …
The Compass: Trends in Profit-Sharing and 401(k) Plans
The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) has just published its 67th annual survey of profit-sharing and 401(k) …
Compass Special Edition: Latest DOL and IRS updates for Retirement Plans
As we kick off the new year, Washington is bustling with activity before the change in administration. The Department …
Delegation, Oversight and Reporting Back to the Board
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Section 402(a) outlines the essential requirements for the …
Retirement Plan Fee Disclosures
Among the many required disclosures of retirement plans, there are two regarding fees. The Department of Labor …
DOL Updates Cybersecurity Guidance
In September 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued “new” guidance for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries …
A Fiduciary Focus on Forfeitures
Roughly a year ago, a pair of attorneys located in Pasadena, California launched the first of what would become a series …
Student Loan Matching Programs
SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) has dozens of optional provisions. One of those provisions permits employers …
A “New” Litigation Target in Healthcare
Plan sponsors have long been on notice that they have a responsibility to ensure that the services provided to their …
The Demise of Chevron
As of June 28, courts will no longer be required to defer to the judgement of the regulatory agencies in terms of applying …
Forfeiture Accounts
The total plan assets include all dollars in the retirement plan, but as the plan sponsor, do you have a good handle …
Compliance Testing Basics
Retirement plans involve a lot of rules. One set of rules, involving nondiscrimination testing, is meant to ensure …
Special Edition Compass: Final Fiduciary Advice Regulation
As a follow-up to its proposal from October 31, 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced updates to …
Retirement Plan Safe Harbors
Do you ever hear the term “safe harbor” thrown around in a lot of different contexts, but you aren’t sure what …
A Prevailing Plan Fiduciary’s Exhibits A, B and C
Many loosely throw around the term “fiduciary governance.” Just like the similarly broad “financial wellness,” …
Crypto Developments: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same?
A couple years ago, people gathered to watch the biggest football game of the season and found themselves…