Another one of my favorite guitarists is Eric Clapton who released an album titled “August” in 1986.  Recent guidance from the IRS providing certain relief for retirement plans as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic brings this album to mind as it emphasizes action by the end of August.  Last month the IRS issued two important notices providing additional relief regarding allowing participants to repay 2020 required minimum distributions (RMDs) that were received prior to…

One of my all time favorite guitarists is Stevie Ray Vaughn, who died way too young.  Stevie sang a song titled “Look at Little Sister”  which I am reminded of every time I hear about the Little Sisters of the Poor litigation involving the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  And I’ve been reminded a lot since 2017 as the Little Sisters have been before the U.S. Supreme Court twice in that time.  The issue has involved…

This is the third and final installment of the effects of Covid-19 Pandemic (Pandemic) on executive compensation of private companies.  Part 1 discussed the issues of reducing compensation of Executives.  See Part 1.   Part 2 discussed issues with deferred compensation plans of Executives.  See Part 2.  This Part 3 deals with limits on compensation for businesses that avail themselves of certain relief provided under the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. …

When is a fiduciary breach not a fiduciary breach?  When the complaining retiree-participants do not have standing because they have not missed receiving a defined benefit pension plan payment, according to Justice Kavanaugh writing for the majority opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in James J. Thole et al. v. U.S. Bank NA et al., decided June 1, 2020.  In a 5-4 decision, the majority ruled that defined benefit participants, who were receiving their pensions and…

Executives often participate in various nonqualified deferred compensation plans designed to reward upper management.  These can be simple plan designs such as electively deferring a portion of their salary or bonus until a later year.  Or the plan can be more complicated such as awards of phantom stock or stock appreciation rights that will pay compensation to the Executive at a future date based on the value of the employer where the number of units…

Rank and file employees who may have lost their job or had hours reduced probably don’t care about the effects of the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic (Pandemic) on executives and key management employees.  However, business owners who have provided such employees with employment agreements, deferred and/or incentive compensation, and perhaps equity or phantom equity compensation do have an interest in the effects of the Pandemic on these employees. This article is Part…

The California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Investment Board has filed a Notice of Proposed Emergency Regulation Action with the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) to adopt emergency regulations to amend the current CalSavers regulation to extend the June 30, 2020 registration deadline for Eligible Employers with more than 100 employees to September 30, 2020.  Currently, employers with more than 100 employees that don’t otherwise offer a retirement plan must register with CalSavers, the state’s payroll…