The Weekly Highlights for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Retirement Plans
Week of August 28, 2026
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12 items · ~4 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (10) · Retirement Plans (2)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
10 items“For the 2026 Q1 origination cohort, our latest MMRI results indicate that repurchase risk has decreased marginally for both Fannie Mae (−0.5 bps) and Freddie Mac (−0.8 bps). This continues the trend of generally stable or improving repurchase risk over the past several quarters. Notably, Freddie Mac’s repurchase risk remains somewhat higher than Fannie Mae’s, which is consistent with historical patterns. This may be attributable to differences in loan mix, borrower profiles, or underwriting practices between the two GSEs.” MORE >>
Source: Milliman
“The proposal would implement SECURE 2.0’s direction to amend the 2002 safe harbor by adding new requirements for e-delivery of benefit statements to participants who first become eligible to participate — or beneficiaries who first become eligible for benefits — after December 31, 2025. DOL’s alternative 2020 e-delivery regulation allows retirement plan administrators to furnish e-disclosures through email or a “notice-and-access” framework that alerts participants when documents are posted to a website or other digital platform. Before e-delivering documents under this safe harbor, the plan administrator must provide an initial paper notice explaining the e-delivery method, including an exp” MORE >>
Source: Mercer
The National Cancer Institute is seeking licensees for matched patient-derived 3D glioma cell lines to study malignant transformation and treatment resistance. This offers researchers a tool to investigate disease progression and therapeutic challenges. MORE >>
Source: Federal Register
“The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) recently issued proposed regulations updating the minimum funding rules for single-employer defined benefit pension plans under Internal Revenue Code section 430 (“Section 430”). 91 Fed. Reg. 53803 (Aug. 20, 2026). The proposed rule would implement several statutory changes made by the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 (“WRERA”), the SECURE Act, and SECURE 2.0 that have not yet been incorporated into the existing regulations, while also addressing several technical issues that have since arisen.” MORE >>
Source: Groom Law Group
“For Trump Accounts, an eligible investment generally is a mutual fund or exchange traded fund that tracks an equity index of primarily U.S. companies, such as the S&P 500 index, does not use leverage, and has annual fees and expenses of no more than 0.1 percent of the balance of the investment in the fund. If an account beneficiary does not select an eligible investment offered by the trustee, funds in a Trump Account automatically will be invested during the growth period in an eligible investment selected by the trustee.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“The SEC announced it will establish a new unit within the Division of Enforcement to pursue accounting and financial reporting fraud cases, as well as general misconduct in the accounting and auditing areas. The Financial Reporting and Accounting Unit will be staffed by attorneys and accountants with expertise in financial reporting, accounting, and auditing in securities regulation. Accounting and financial reporting misconduct includes the intentional manipulation, falsification, or omission of financial records to deceive investors, lenders, or regulators. For example, it could involve misrepresenting revenue, debt, expenses, or assets.” MORE >>
Source: Ogletree Deakins
“The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued guidance on a provision of the SECURE 2.0 Act allowing 401(k), 403(a), 403(b), and eligible governmental 457(b) plans to offer optional distributions to pay long-term care (LTC) insurance premiums.” MORE >>
Source: Littler
The IRS proposed regulations on determining a U.S. shareholder's pro rata share of a controlled foreign corporation's income or loss, affecting shareholders of foreign corporations. MORE >>
Source: Federal Register
“Private-sector employers covered by Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should take note of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) new National Enforcement Plan (NEP), which signals where the agency will focus its investigative and litigation resources through 2029, as well as the EEOC’s related actions to limit voluntary affirmative action plan safe harbors and EEO-1 data reporting requirements.” MORE >>
Source: Troutman Pepper Locke
“Notice 2026-27 specifies updated static mortality tables to be used for defined benefit pension plans under § 430(h)(3)(A) of the Code and section 303(h)(3)(A) of ERISA. This notice also specifies a mortality table for use in determining minimum present value under § 417(e)(3) of the Code and section 205(g)(3) of ERISA for distributions with annuity starting dates that occur during stability periods beginning in the 2027 calendar year.” MORE >>
Source: irs.gov
Retirement Plans
2 items“Most compliance problems announce themselves. This one does not. Your plan has been operating under the CARES Act, SECURE 1.0, and SECURE 2.0 for years, your participants have received communications describing those features, and your recordkeeper has administered them faithfully.” MORE >>
Source: Foley & Lardner
“A growing number of middle-class workers expect to rely more heavily on 401(k)s and similar retirement plans as government- and employer-funded pensions fade away, according to a new report. Many expect self-funded savings to be their primary source of retirement income, with 42% citing the category overall, the Transamerica Institute survey found. That includes 31% who expect to rely on 401(k)s, 403(b)s and IRAs and 11% who point to other savings and investments.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News