Author: Katie Jonckheer
PRC News, July 11, 2022
President Biden Celebrates the Butch Lewis Act on day PBGC issues final rule on law. President Joe Biden, surrounded by cheering workers and retirees, gave a heartfelt speech during a recent event in Cleveland that highlighted the importance of the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act (BLA). The President talked about the success of the […]
PBGC Issues Final Guidance on Butch Lewis Act
For Immediate Release The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) on July 8 released a long-awaited final rule implementing the Special Financial Assistance Program (SFA) under the Butch Lewis Emergency Penson Plan Relief Act (BLA). The BLA, passed in March 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, authorizes the U.S. Treasury Department to give […]
Pension Rights Center Supports Domestic Partner’s Claim for Survivor Benefits
By David Brandolph The Pension Rights Center is the Resource Center providing legal and strategic assistance to a network of six Pension Counseling and Information projects that assists people in 31 states get the retirement plan benefits they’ve earned. Recently, PRC worked with Madeleine Tabor, an attorney with the Western States Pension Assistance Project to […]
PRC letter to the Senate HELP Committee on the RISE & SHINE Act
The Pension Rights Center sent a letter to the Senate HELP Committee in support of specific consumer protections in the discussion draft of the Retirement Improvement and Savings Enhancement to Supplement Healthy Investments for the Nest Egg Act (RISE & SHINE Act), but expressed disappointment that the discussion draft bill does not include the critical […]
Pension Rights Center’s Founder Karen Ferguson Receives Award Posthumously Recognizing Her Importance to Employee Benefits Field
By David Brandolph The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) recently bestowed its 2022 Public Service Award on the Pension Rights Center’s late founder and president, Karen Ferguson, who died in December. “Her life’s work was focused on challenging the systems in place to find a better path for a secure retirement,” Kevin E. […]
PRC letter to the Committee on Ways and Means in support of specific provisions of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022
PRC sent a letter to Chairman Neal and Ranking Member Brady of the House Ways and Means Committee in support of specific provisions of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022, including those related to recoupment and the Retirement Savings Lost and Found.
Labor Department Sounds Alarm on 401(k) Cryptocurrency Investments
By Jane Smith The U.S. Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has recently issued guidance warning about the risks involved in offering and using cryptocurrency as investment options in 401(k)-type retirement plans. In a Compliance Assistance Release issued March 10, the Department said it has “become aware of firms marketing investments in cryptocurrencies to […]
Butch Lewis Act Working to Protect and Restore Pension Benefits
By David Brandolph Substantial progress is being made in meeting the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act’s (Butch Lewis Act) objective of rescuing severely underfunded multiemployer defined benefit pension plans and reinstating benefits to thousands of plan members, many of whom have experienced devastating benefit cuts. The Road Carriers Local 707 Pension Plan in […]
Social Media Storm Celebrates PRC and Karen Ferguson
By Katie Jonckheer February 17th was a momentous day at the Pension Rights Center. As we wrote in our most recent blog, this day was PRC’s 46th anniversary and the birthday of our founder Karen Ferguson, who sadly died on December 23rd, 2021. To honor Karen’s legacy and celebrate the PRC, we spearheaded a Twitter […]
Easing Retirement Plan Notarization Could Put Women at Risk
A proposal federal regulators are weighing to end in-person retirement plan election requirements meant to protect spousal benefit rights instead could expose women beneficiaries to fraud.
Employer Reps Ask IRS For Higher Plan Correction Floor
An advocacy group representing large employers that offer employee benefits recommended that the Internal Revenue Service increase a threshold requiring corrections of pension plan overpayments.
Companies Decide the Time Is Right to Offload Pensions to Insurers
Many Americans who still have a traditional pension—the kind that pays a regular income no matter what the market does—could soon have a different company paying their benefits. U.S. companies owe current and future retirees and their beneficiaries more than $3 trillion, and many have been trying to exit the retirement business for years. Right […]
