Retirement

Poll: Employee benefits are our favorite tax breaks

12/12/2017

As a congressional conference committee negotiates the final terms of tax reform legislation, a new poll of working Americans shows more support for maintaining the tax-favored status of employer-provided benefits than for the popular mortgage interest deduction.

Workflex in the 21st Century Act may modernize ERISA

11/22/2017

New legislation would allow employers to create an ERISA plan, known as a qualified flexible workplace arrangement plan, as a way to offer employees a combination of guaranteed paid leave and increased work flexibility options.

More employers institute 401(k) auto-enrollment

11/08/2017

More employers than ever are automatically enrolling employees in defined contribution retirement plans such as 401(k)s, according to a new survey by Alight Solutions, an HR consultancy that recently spun off from Aon Hewitt.

Study finds benefits costs vary greatly by industry

10/31/2017

The cost of employer-provided health care and retirement benefits, measured as a percentage of pay, varies greatly by industry, according to research by the Willis Towers Watson consulting firm.

2018 FICA wage base, withholding allowances, retirement contributions

09/28/2017

The Social Security Administration has announced that the taxable wage base for the Social Security portion of FICA will increase to $128,700 in 2018. The amount employees can contribute to 401(k) and 403(b) retirement accounts will increase to $18,500 for 2018.

Snapshot: 401(k)s dominate retirement benefits landscape

07/03/2017

Only about one-fifth of employers still offer traditional defined-benefit pensions. Defined-contribution retirement plans have become almost universal.

DOL recovers 401(k) funds for St. Paul company employees

06/28/2017

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefit Security Administration, Weinhagen Tire employees’ retirement contributions took an illegal detour into the St. Paul company’s operating accounts.

Health, retirement perks remain strong draws

04/25/2017

Health insurance remains the employer-provided benefit employees value most, followed by retirement savings.

Stressed about retirement, most decide to do nothing

03/29/2017

Thirty percent of Americans surveyed say they are emotionally stressed out about their retirement prospects.

Senate likely to kill state & local ‘auto-IRA’ retirement savings plans

03/21/2017

The Senate was poised last week to vote to block two Obama administration rules that made it easier for state and local governments to establish voluntary retirement savings plans for employees of small businesses.