Released by the IRS in the final days of 2023, Notice 2024-2 offers guidance on several aspects of the SECURE 2.0 Act, particularly focusing on instructions related to designated Roth matching and nonelective contributions. In this episode, Sey

Episode 17: Long-Term Part-Time Employee Guidance

Dec 12th, 2023 25m 22s

On November 24, 2023, the IRS issued highly anticipated proposed regulations concerning the provisions under SECURE and SECURE 2.0, requiring 401(k) plans to expand deferral eligibility for long-term part-time employees. The proposed rules answ

Episode 16: Junk Insurance

Dec 1st, 2023 18m 54s

Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris Administration took a firm stance against 'junk insurance' by introducing regulations aimed at impacting short-term limited duration insurance policies, independent non-coordinated coverage, and level funded

Episode 15: Auto-Enrollment Provisions Under SECURE 2.0

Aug 10th, 2023 18m 17s

Enacted in December 2022, the SECURE 2.0 Act contains over 90 provisions that impact qualified retirement plans. Notably, SECURE 2.0 mandates the adoption of auto-enrollment features for plans established after its enactment. Grab your cup of c

Episode 14: Benefit Attorneys in the Wild

Jul 10th, 2023 13m 17s

On this episode of Coffee Talk With Benefits, Richard and Sarah venture out of the office as part of an Employee Benefits retreat and engage in brief discussions with their colleagues, Diane Dygert, Caroline Pieper, Alisha Sullivan, Ben Conley,

Episode 13: When ERISA Was Young

May 15th, 2023 20m 6s

The 50th anniversary of the enactment of ERISA is next year, so we thought what better way to look back on those 50 years than with Seyfarth Partner, Howard Pianko, who was one of the original ERISA practitioners back in 1974. Listen in as How

Episode 12: Edification on ‘Rothification’ under SECURE 2.0

Mar 10th, 2023 27m 47s

Signed into law in the waning days of 2022, the SECURE 2.0 Act contains over 90 provisions impacting qualified retirement plans. Several of these provisions materially expand how Roth contributions are to be used, that impact employers and part

Episode 11: Employee Contribution Failures

Feb 2nd, 2023 17m 27s

The Internal Revenue Code provides significant tax benefits for both employers and employees participating in a 401(k) or 403(b) plan. In exchange for these tax benefits, the plan must satisfy a litany of requirements, notably that a plan be ad

Episode 10: Missing Participants

Dec 7th, 2022 20m 45s

‘Missing’ or lost participants often raise a handful of legal and administrative issues for plan sponsors. The lack of definitive guidance has led to confusion for plan sponsors in deciding what to do about missing participants. While the IRS a

Episode 9: Open Questions Under the SECURE Act

Nov 7th, 2022 14m 38s

In December 2019, The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) was enacted and signed into law. The Act was the most significant piece of legislation impacting employee benefit plans since the Pension Protection Ac

Episode 8: Pension Plan Distributions in Rising Interest Rate Environment

Oct 13th, 2022 18m 1s

With interest rates on the rise, defined benefit pension plan sponsors and participants alike may be wondering how their pension plans and pension benefits are impacted. Rising interest rates lower lump sum values, which begs the question of wh

Episode 7: Sham Terminations - Gone But Not Forgotten

Sep 14th, 2022 14m 49s

Termination of employment is a distribution event under many retirement plans, and particularly under individual account defined contribution plans. But what does it mean to terminate employment? Is there such a thing as a “sham” termination?

Episode 6: Cybersecurity Practices for Employee Benefit Plans

Aug 3rd, 2022 13m 6s

Cybersecurity has become an integral concern for employers and employee benefit plans alike. With an increase in DOL cybersecurity audits, plan fiduciaries are looking to strengthen their cybersecurity practices more than ever before. What spec

Episode 5: Cryptocurrency Investments in Retirement Plans

Jul 5th, 2022 12m 38s

Retirement plan investment in cryptocurrencies has been a hot topic of discussion in recent months. The Department of Labor’s reaction to Super Bowl commercials with celebrities touting crypto-investments, followed by Fidelity’s announcement th

Episode 4: Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs): Do’s and Don’ts

Jun 3rd, 2022 19m 32s

Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) are an essential mechanism for employers to use when informing employees and participants of benefits offered under their plans. What kind of information is required to be included in an SPD? Should you consider

Episode 3: Employee Benefit Impact of Restrictions on Abortion, Contraceptive and Prenatal Services

May 18th, 2022 15m 33s

Should the recently leaked SCOTUS draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade become law this summer, trigger laws across the Country will go into effect, illegalizing abortion in a significant number of states. Other states are exploring implementin

Episode 2: Benefit Plan Beneficiary Designation Issues

May 2nd, 2022 16m 59s

Navigating the appropriate handling of a deceased participant’s plan benefit is an all too common concern for retirement administrators. What’s the big deal? Seems like it should be simple enough -- just pay the beneficiary -- but in practice

Episode 1: The Impact of Disability on Retirement Plan Participation

Apr 1st, 2022 15m 33s

One of your employees goes out on disability. What happens to their retirement plan participation while on disability? Is the individual still an employee? Do employee deferrals and loan repayments continue? What about employer contributions? I

Coffee Talk With Benefits Trailer

Apr 1st, 2022 38s

Coffee Talk With Benefits is brought to you by Seyfarth’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation department. In each episode our hosts, Richard Schwartz and Sarah Touzalin, will be joined by an expert in the employee benefits world to discu

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