The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has relaunched its Opinion Letter Program to provide enhanced compliance guidance under Title IV of ERISA. Employers, plan sponsors, unions, and practitioners can request opinion letters to clarify PBGC’s application of ERISA regulations to
ML BeneBits
ML BeneBits, published by Morgan Lewis, focuses on legal developments and practical guidance related to employee benefits and executive compensation. The blog covers topics such as ERISA compliance, wellness program litigation, restrictive covenants in corporate transactions, annual benefits enrollment strategies, and regulatory updates from the Department of Labor. It also addresses emerging trends in retirement investing, including the impact of executive orders on alternative investment options within retirement plans. The content is aimed at plan sponsors, human resources professionals, and executives navigating the complexities of benefits administration and regulatory compliance.
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PBGC Provides Merger Guidance for SFA Plans 5 Years After Enactment of American Rescue Plan Act
By Morgan Lewis
Five years after the US Congress enacted the American Rescue Plan Act’s Special Financial Assistance (SFA) program, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has issued new guidance addressing what happens when a plan that received SFA wants to merge with…
Designing Executive Loan Programs in the Context of Incentive Equity: Key Considerations and Practices
By Morgan Lewis
Executive loan programs have become a popular strategic response to complex executive compensation demands in a competitive talent market.
Roth Catch-Up Rules Finalized: What Multiemployer Plans Need to Know
By Morgan Lewis
The US Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have finalized regulations under the SECURE 2.0 Act that change how certain retirement plan participants may make catch-up contributions. Beginning in 2026, participants whose income meets certain thresholds and…
IRS Postpones Effective Date of Certain RMD Regulations
By Morgan Lewis
In Announcement 2026-7 , the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) further delayed the application of certain required minimum distribution (RMD) proposed regulations until January 1, 2027, at the earliest. The delayed proposed regulations addressed certain changes to the RMD rules made…
Where to Start with Trump Accounts
By Morgan Lewis
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act created “Trump accounts” under Section 530A of the Internal Revenue Code. While many questions remain unanswered, Trump accounts essentially operate as retirement saving accounts for children, somewhat mirroring traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) but…
Strengthening Fiduciary Hygiene: Navigating DOL Scrutiny and New Litigation Risks for Health and Welfare Plans
By Morgan Lewis
For decades, fiduciary litigation under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) was largely concentrated on 401(k) and pension plans. That era has ended. In recent years, we have seen class-action lawsuits targeting health and welfare plans. Plaintiffs’…
GLP-1 Coverage, Obesity, and the ADA: What Employer Health Plan Sponsors Need to Know
By Morgan Lewis
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have reshaped the landscape of diabetes and obesity treatment and quickly become one of the most significant cost drivers for employer-sponsored health plans.
Clearing the Smoke: Insights from the Williams v. Bally ’s Tobacco Use Surcharge Dismissal
By Morgan Lewis
In Williams v. Bally Management Group, LLC , the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island became the first court to grant a motion to dismiss in a class action challenging Bally Management Group’s (Bally) tobacco surcharge wellness…
Management Corner: Restrictive Covenant Considerations for Executives in Corporate Transactions
By Morgan Lewis
In July 2025, we published an article (see link below) that discussed considerations relating to rollover and incentive equity in management representations in private equity transactions. This blog post addresses additional considerations for executives or teams of executives relating to…