What's New - February 2012

Index to All Months

What's new at EBRI this month:

EBRI 2011 Fall Policy Forum: “Innovations in Employment-Based Health Benefits: Lessons Learned for Public Policy” [“gavel to gavel” webcast - Prerecorded broadcast available through the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans]

EBRI 2011 Spring Policy Forum: “Is There a Future for Retirement?” ["gavel to gavel" webcast - Prerecorded broadcast available through the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans]

Visit EBRI's Blog!

EBRI's Recent Media Coverage

“EBRI Now on Twitter” [EBRI Press Release, 2/6/09]

401(k) Balances and Changes Due to Market Volatility

Publications:

January 2012 EBRI Issue Brief - "Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements: Assets, Account Balances, and Rollovers, 2006-2011"

January 2012 EBRI Notes - "The Impact of PPACA on Employment-Based Health Coverage of Adult Children to Age 26" and "Spending Adjustments Made By Older Americans to Save Money"

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Sixth Edition of EBRI's Fundamentals of Employee Benefit Programs Is Now Available

New Survey Released March 19, 2008: Preparing for Their Future: A Look at the Financial State of Gen X and Gen Y - Press Release

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What's new in employee benefits:

  • HR News Online -- a daily update from the Society for Human Resource Management

The following items have been added to the Government Accountability Office's Web site in Portable Document (PDF) format:

Reports
Health Care Coverage: Job Lock and the Potential Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. GAO-12-166R, December 15.

Delphi Pension Plans: GM Agreements with Unions Give Rise to Unique Differences in Participant Benefits. GAO-12-168, December 15. Highlights.

 

If a title link above no longer works, click here for the GAO home page and search for the report by keyword or report number. Click here to browse by date,  topic, or agency.   Searches for reports can also be conducted in the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Reports Online via GPO Access database.

If your computer does not already have the free Adobe Acrobat viewer software to read PDF files, click here for the one-time download necessary to read PDF publications.

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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has established a National Call Center to serve its customers.  By calling 1-866-4-USA-DOL, America's employees and employers can find answers to questions on a range of employment issues.  This toll-free service offers live operator assistance and is a central access point for all DOL services and programs.  It serves both English and Spanish speaking callers.  The Call Center can assist workers and employers with questions about job loss, business closures, pay and leave, workplace injuries, safety and health, pension and health benefits, and reemployment rights for reservists. 

Additional Department of Labor toll-free numbers to call for questions regarding specific issues are listed below:

  •  1-877-US-2JOBS     Job Loss, Layoffs, Business Closures, Unemployment Benefits and Job Training

  •  1-866-4-US-WAGE     Pay, Overtime, Leave and Child Labor

  •  1-800-321-OSHA     Workplace Safety and Health

  •  1-877-889-5627     TTY number for all Department of Labor Questions

The Internal Revenue Service has announced that technical or procedural questions relating to retirement plans are answered at the EP Customer Account Services site.  Answers to many questions may already be available under Retirement Plans Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).  If not:

Call:   TE/GE Customer Account Services at (877) 829-5500 (toll-free number).
           The call center is open 8:00am to 6:30pm Eastern Time.

Write:   Internal Revenue Service
              TE/GE Division, Customer Service
              P.O. Box 2508
              Cincinnati, OH 45201

Email:   RetirementPlanQuestions@irs.gov
              Note: All questions submitted via e-mail must be responded to via telephone,
              so please remember to include your phone number in your message.

[2/3/12]  U.S. Department of the Treasury:

[2/3/12]  Internal Revenue Service:

[2/3/12]  Plan Sponsor:  “IRS Issues Guidance About Annuities in Retirement Plans”

[2/3/12]  Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic Advisers:  Supporting Retirement for American Families

[2/3/12]  AmericaSavesWeek.org:  February 19-26, 2012: Click here for information on how organizations and individuals can participate.

[2/3/12]  Legg Mason Retirement Advisory Council:  The Savings Crisis of Working Americans: The Retirement Industry Call to Action [White Paper]

[2/3/12]  Principal Financial Group:  Making It Personal - Benefits Best Practices from The Principal 10 Best Companies--2011 [Celebrating 10 Years of 10 Best]

[2/3/12]  Compensation and Working Conditions:  “Tracking Employment-Based Health Benefits in Changing Times”

[2/3/12]  Kaiser Family Foundation Focus on Health Reform:

[2/3/12]  Wellness Council of America News & Views:  “De-Mystifying ROI: What You Can Expect from Workplace Wellness Programs”

[2/3/12]  National Conference of State Legislatures:  Checklist of State DB, DC, and Other Retirement Plans

[2/3/12]  The Wall Street Journal:  “401(k) Plans Step Into the Sunshine -- New Labor Department Rules Will Require Fee Disclosures”

[2/3/12]  Fort Worth Star Telegram:  “AMR wants to terminate all four of its pension plans”

[2/3/12]  Towers Watson:  Global Pension Assets Study 2012

Updated 2/3/12