The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Retirement Plans
July 31, 2026
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11 items · ~2 min read
Top of the Brief
Increased Nonelective Contributions Could Help More Employees Save, per Vanguard“Current retirement plan matching contribution formulas have some room for improvement, according to new research from Vanguard.”
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (1) · Retirement Plans (4) · Litigation (2) · General Benefits (4)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
1 item“As part of its well-documented efforts to expand Americans’ access to retirement through the promotion of various savings vehicles, the Trump Administration is working to broaden the types of assets available to retirement savers through their 401(k) plans.” MORE >>
Source: NCPERS
Retirement Plans
4 items“MissionSquare today announced that the Income America 5forLife retirement income solution is now available to eligible MissionSquare-administered retirement plans, offering a lifetime income-focused option alongside traditional investments for participants approaching and entering retirement.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“Current retirement plan matching contribution formulas have some room for improvement, according to new research from Vanguard.” MORE >>
Source: PLANADVISER
“The Standard Insurance Co., a subsidiary of StanCorp Financial Group Inc., announced Thursday a pooled employer plan for 403(b) nonprofit organizations. The Standard will serve as the pooled plan provider, 402(a) named fiduciary, 3(16) fiduciary and recordkeeper.” MORE >>
Source: PLANSPONSOR
“The issue: what is the state of issue of any annuity contract purchased under any of these programs, and how does choice impact the plan participants and the fiduciaries?” MORE >>
Source: Business of Benefits
Litigation
2 items“A(nother) federal judge has granted the motion to dismiss in a(nother) forfeiture reallocation suit — not because of arguments raised by the fiduciary defendants, but because the arguments put forth by the plaintiff were insufficient.” MORE >>
Source: American Retirement Association
“Employers withdrawing from multiemployer pension plans may want to carefully document applicable interest rates at the time of withdrawal, seek express written agreements on how partial payments will be allocated, and maintain genuine operational separateness among affiliated entities to reduce overall liability exposure and defend against single-employer claims.” MORE >>
Source: Ogletree Deakins
General Benefits
4 items“Changing pension administration software vendors is a significant strategic decision for any organization. While software features are an important part of the equation, pension administration projects are complex, long-term initiatives with implications that extend well beyond a software change.” MORE >>
Source: Segal
“A mid-year snapshot of what's proposed, what's finalized and what every plan sponsor needs to act on now.” MORE >>
Source: americancentury.com
[Regulatory Action and Guidance]
Crapo Announces Hearing on Process Approaches for Addressing Social Security SolvencyThe Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing to explore process approaches for addressing Social Security solvency, a critical issue for retirement plan sponsors and fiduciaries. MORE >>
Source: Senate Finance Committee
[Regulatory Action and Guidance]
SEC Proposes to Authorize Electronic Delivery of Documents Required by the Federal Securities Laws and Regulations“On July 16, 2026, the SEC proposed Regulation E-Delivery (Reg E-Delivery), which if adopted would: (i) establish conditions under which the delivery requirements of the Federal securities laws could be satisfied by delivering information electronically (e-delivery) without the need to first obtain recipients’ affirmative consent; (ii) rescind the rule providing alternative means for registered investment companies to satisfy shareholder report transmission requirements; and (iii) amend rules addressing the dissemination of proxy and tender offer materials to facilitate consistency with the proposed new e-delivery framework.” MORE >>
Source: Arnold & Porter
Also of Note
- Senate HELP Committee Advances Sonderling’s DOL Nomination — “A party-line vote sent the acting labor secretary’s name to the full Senate, where confirmation for the permanent position awaits.” (PLANSPONSOR)
- IRS Extends Comment Period on Key Retirement Plan Correction Forms – Don’t Miss Your Window — “The IRS has extended the public comment period on its Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) information collection through September 25, 2026.” (JD Supra)
- Sonderling One Step Closer to Confirmation as DOL Chief — “Keith Sonderling is one step closer to serving as Secretary of Labor, as the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee on July 30 approved his nomination.” (American Retirement Association)
- Memorial Hermann Health System Reaches Settlement in ERISA Suit Over 401(k) Plan Fees, Fund Choices — “Memorial Hermann Health System, a Texas nonprofit hospital system, has settled a suit under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) relating to 401(k) plan fees and fund choices.” (Hall Benefits Law)
- MarketBeat: Do You Have Retirement Plan Cybersecurity Insurance Coverage? — “How common is for retirement plans to have cybersecurity insurance coverage?” (American Retirement Association)
- Matteson Ellis Discusses Scoular FCPA Enforcement Action on FCPA Compliance Report Podcast — “FCPA Compliance Report 07.20.” (Miller & Chevalier)
- Benefits Monthly Minute - July 2026 — “The July Monthly Minute highlights the DOL’s new proposed electronic disclosure rule, a significant employer-friendly tobacco-surcharge ruling, and a Seventh Circuit decision reinforcing the importance of express authority in POAs purporting to waive QJSA rights....” (JD Supra)
- BlackRock Promotes 2 to Head Retirement — “BlackRock Inc. promoted Casie Maurer and Donald Perault to leadership positions in the firm’s U.” (PLANADVISER)
- Maurer, Perault Promoted to Head BlackRock Retirement Units — “The pair of managing directors will now head defined contribution and defined benefit retirement divisions.” (PLANSPONSOR)
- Show Your Work: Fifth Circuit Stresses the Importance of Thorough Harassment Investigations — “Quick Hits Factual Background The employee, a Black woman and naturalized U.S. citizen born in Ghana, worked as a registered nurse at the hospital.” (Ogletree Deakins)
- Rare DOJ Military Bias Suit Shows Peril Of Co. Admissions — “External Publication Bradford Kelley discusses a USERRA case that demonstrates how quickly a routine personnel decision can become a federal enforcement action when an employer expressly attributes that decision to an employee's military obligations.” (Littler)
- German Occupational Pensions Update: Key Decisions of the Third Senate – Part 1 — “In its judgment of September 25, 2025, the BAG considered the conditions under which a flat-rate adjustment clause providing for an annual 1% increase in ongoing pension benefits may replace the statutory adjustment review under Section 16(1) of the German Occupational Pensions Act (Betriebsrentengesetz, BetrAVG)—and thus, ultimately, any adjustment in line with the development of the consumer price index.” (Littler)