Retirement Regulation

More than 600,000 American companies could be at risk of fines, legal penalties and fiduciary failure for failing to auto-enroll, offer qualified investments or transmit payments on time, according to Abernathy Daley 401k Consultants.

Plan sponsors need to stay on top of the evolution of DC plan lineups that now include collective investment trusts and retirement income as investment options, according to a new Fidelity report.

One key area to watch is tax policy, since President Trump has been a strong supporter of extending and even making permanent tax cuts, which could potentially affect overall 401(k) growth, says Colonial Surety's Richard Clarke.

SSA's acting commissioner resigned over refusal to allow access to sensitive government records, however, she was quickly replaced by the manager in charge of SSA's anti-fraud office, until Trump's appointee to lead the agency, Frank Bisignano, is confirmed by the Senate.

The DOL's ESG rule has been challenged since it took effect in 2023, but now a Texas judge has ruled that retirement fund managers may consider environmental, social and governance factors when choosing investment funds.

Most (92%) employees agreed that it was important to have choice in and control of the investments in their plans and more than eight out of 10 said that their DC plan offered "a good lineup of investment options," according to the Investment Company Institute.