The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Retirement Plans
August 7, 2026
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9 items · ~3 min read
Top of the Brief
How Public Pension Systems Are Using Artificial Intelligence in 2026“NCPERS 2026 Public Retirement Systems Study found that more than 35% of responding public pension systems are already using artificial intelligence for at least one purpose, a significant increase from prior years.”
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (1) · Retirement Plans (5) · General Benefits (2) · Litigation (1)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
1 item“NCPERS 2026 Public Retirement Systems Study found that more than 35% of responding public pension systems are already using artificial intelligence for at least one purpose, a significant increase from prior years.” MORE >>
Source: NCPERS
Retirement Plans
5 items“This isn’t always as easy as you may think. This is because of the way some of these programs are actually marketed. There are at least two different ways to accumulate income guarantees in a DC plan which are generally marketed. The first is to accumulate those income rights in insurance contracts which are purchased by the plan, itself.” MORE >>
Source: Business of Benefits
[General Benefits]
Senators Hear Calls for 403(b) CIT Access, DOL Investment Selection Rule“Witnesses testifying before a Senate panel on capital formation urged lawmakers to pass legislation allowing 403(b) plans to invest in collective investment trusts (CITs). They also expressed support (and caution) for the Department of Labor’s proposed Investment Selection Rule.” MORE >>
Source: American Retirement Association
“Financial stress continues to drive retirement plan leakage, as more than half of surveyed U.S. workers report above-average financial stress.” MORE >>
Source: PLANADVISER
“While 88% of pre-retirees have thought about retirement income and yet 50% lack a meaningful or recently updated plan, the research found 76% have no plan or have spent less than 5 hours in the last year planning. The intention-to-action gap represents the industry’s clearest engagement opportunity. Advice is a confidence differentiator: Consumers who work with a financial advisor or planner are far more likely to feel prepared for retirement—77% vs. 47% of those without one.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
[General Benefits]
Calling BS on Social Security Solvency Fearmongering While Selling Retirees Riskier Annuities“For decades, Americans have been told the same story: “Social Security may not be there for you.” The warning has become Wall Street’s greatest marketing tool. Convince workers that Social Security is on the verge of collapse, and suddenly expensive annuities become the “safe” alternative. There is just one problem. The financial markets themselves don’t believe it, based on Credit Default Swap rates.” MORE >>
Source: The Commonsense 401(k) Project
General Benefits
2 items“In this episode of Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation — Preparing for 2027, Jim Earle and Jeff Banish, attorneys in Troutman Pepper Locke’s Employee Benefits + Executive Compensation practice, break down Trump accounts, a new type of individual retirement account established under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act designed to build long-term wealth for children. Jim and Jeff walk through who qualifies as an eligible beneficiary, how accounts are established, key rules governing the growth period, including contribution limits and permitted investments, and the federally funded $1,000 pilot program contribution for children born between 2025 and 2028.” MORE >>
Source: Troutman Pepper Locke
“The number of U.S. workers struggling to save for retirement is on the rise, adding to the financial strain many employees are already experiencing. A recent study by employee benefits consulting firm NFP found the share of employees who are off track for retirement increased from 68% in 2025 to 72% in 2026, driven by the rising costs of essentials such as housing, car payments and healthcare. At the same time, workers are grappling with elevated financial stress as they try to balance day-to-day expenses with long-term retirement goals.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News
Litigation
1 item"A recent decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Havlik v. University of Chicago, underscores that plan administrators must look to the governing state’s power of attorney (“POA”) laws to determine both whether a POA is valid and whether the plan must honor it." MORE >>
Source: JD Supra
Also of Note
- New DOL Opinion Letters Offer Employer Guidance on Compensable Travel Time — “Find Your Next Job !” (National Law Review)
- Senate Finance Committee Members Clash Over Social Security’s Future — “Republicans urged a bipartisan commission or special negotiating process, while Democrats pushed for public debate and legislation that raises revenue and protects benefits.” (PLANSPONSOR)
- Rethinking retirement plan pricing for small business — “In a recent survey, our company found that 94% of employers said offering a retirement plan is important for attracting and retaining employees, yet 62% revealed they had not taken steps in the past year to improve their retirement benefits.” (Employee Benefit News)
- Carried Away Series — Management Fees and Self-Employment Taxes – Structuring for Tax Efficiency After Sirius Solutions and Soroban — “The Fifth Circuit’s recent decision in the Sirius Solutions case handed a victory to private fund managers.” (Troutman Pepper Locke)
- Is Your AI Strategy Putting Your Trade Secrets at Risk? — “Under both federal and state trade secret laws, information qualifies as a trade secret only if it derives economic value from not being generally known and the owner takes reasonable measures to maintain its secrecy.” (National Law Review)
- WTW, SEI Partner to Deliver Private Assets Through CITs — “WTW will provide investment and operational due diligence, as well as research support, for assets used in SEI’s investment vehicles.” (PLANSPONSOR)
- Changing Pension Administration Software Vendors? Three Key Considerations — “Not all vendors operate the same way.” (NCPERS)
- WTW, SEI Expand Partnership to Bring Private Markets to 401(k) Plans — “WTW Investments and SEI on Tuesday announced the expansion of their partnership to support the development of private markets solutions for the 401(k) and broader US defined contribution plan market.” (401(k) Specialist)