You may have many reasons to dispute your benefit plan, such as 401k or pension. You may disagree with the facts used to calculate your benefits, the formula used to calculate your benefits, an investment option or distribution opportunity denied. ERISA lays out a specific set of rules that plans must follow. You must comply […]
What can I do to dispute my benefit plan? Read More »
A common concern posed by pension participants is how secure those payments will be in the future. Given the economic turmoil in the past few years, it is certainly a worthwhile question. The good news is that the vast majority of retirement benefits are more secure than you might think. As a Dallas employment attorney experienced
How secure are my pension payments? Read More »
Employers operate 401k plans at a cost. Like other labor expenses (hiring process, salary, vacation pay, etc.) employers have to pay for compliance with labor and employment laws. Benefit plans are somewhat unique. Under ERISA employers can shift the cost of plan administration from the plan sponsor to plan beneficiaries. 401k plan fees often are
401k Plan Fees – What Are They and Do They Matter? Read More »
ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, is a federal regulatory regime that governs private employer retirement, health care benefits and certain other employee benefit plans. It is a massive web of legislation, Department of Labor regulations and IRS regulations. ERISA also borrows from and incorporates securities regulations on investments (such as in 401k plans). ERISA
What is ERISA and why should employees care? Read More »
This highly important question tends to receive significantly less attention in today’s economy than it should. Many people see a lump sum as a way to either pay down debts or seed stock gains. This attitude is further fueled by financial advisors who need to bring in assets, like your pension lump sum and 401k,
Should You Take the Lump Sum or the Annuity Payments from Your Pension? Read More »
There are many retirement asset-funded investment and business schemes that run from taking loans to “rollover as business startup” (ROBS) plans. They have been around for many years and typically they are generally a bad idea. I discourage most would-be investors due to the legal and financial liability involved. I have had people come to
Can I use my 401k to buy a business, franchise, house, investment property, etc.? Read More »
401k fee disclosure was a project in the works for many years, going back to the mid-2000s. Eventually the Department of Labor promised Congress it would create regulations requiring plans to disclosure fees charged by service providers. The purposes are two-fold. First, disclosures help plan administrators figure costs so they can assess whether fees are
401k Fee Disclosure: What Does It All Mean? Read More »