The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Retirement Plans
October 14, 2026
— § —
10 items · ~4 min read
Top of the Brief
Eleventh Circuit Finds No Administrative Exhaustion Required for Statutory ERISA Claims“Seyfarth Synopsis: In a significant en banc decision, Bolton v. Inland Fresh Seafood Corporation of America, Inc., No. 24-10084, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overruled its four-decade-old precedent in Mason v.”
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (1) · Retirement Plans (4) · Litigation (4) · General Benefits (1)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
1 item“GC) released a final rule to amend the allocation of assets in single-employer plans to prescribe the spreads component of the interest assumption under the asset allocation regulation for plans with valuation dates of October 31, 2026 – January 30,” MORE >>
Source: ifebp.org
Retirement Plans
4 items“According to new research released today by Allspring Global Investments, it’s a complex situation that reveals that participants do appreciate the features of their retirement plan, but largely admit they plan to immediately move those assets elsewhere at retirement, especially if they’ve been working with an advisor. The study, The Retirement Decisions Defaults Can’t Address, explores the contrasting desires of plan participants—they trust employers when it comes to plan design and providing the right mix of beneficial features, but they mostly have their eyes on a long-term future that doesn’t end with their workplace plan. It suggests sponsors keep that reality in mind when formulating i” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“A new analysis released today estimates 13.6 million Latino adults may be income-eligible for the federal Saver’s Match program starting in 2027, creating a major opportunity to expand much-needed long-term investing participation for the underrepresented but important demographic. “The Saver’s Match could create a new entry point into retirement investing for millions of Latino workers.” Finhabits today released “The Next American Dream: Expanding Latino Participation in Retirement Investing,”its 2026 Latino Power in Numbers report, examining how the federal Saver’s Match could expand retirement investing among U.S. Latinos beginning in 2027.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“According to Retirement Redefined, new research released today by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, more and more Americans are beginning to understand that even substantial retirement savings may not solely serve them in their ever-extended retirement. Guardian’s research instead shows that only 34% say they’ve actively planned for how they’ll receive income at age 80 and older, versus the 48% who are more adequately prepared for their needs from ages 60-69. “For many, our research suggests that retirement planning efforts fall short because they aren’t accounting for longevity.” Combine that with a sense of uncertainty about retirement in general and the reality that 55% have” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“Before the end of 2026, sponsors of calendar-year, single-employer retirement plans should review their plans and adopt any needed amendments to satisfy the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and ERISA. This Client Action Bulletin highlights the key amendments and administrative items that defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) plan sponsors should address in the last quarter of 2026. Each year, plan sponsors of individually designed plans should check to see if any plan amendments are listed in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Required Amendments List (RA List).” MORE >>
Source: Milliman
Litigation
4 items“A federal grand jury in Ohio indicted the owner of a Cleveland wealth management and financial advisory firm on charges of embezzling his employees’ retirement contributions and operating Ponzi and mortgage fraud schemes to obtain more than $1.2 million. According to the indictment filed on October 1 by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Ohio, 54-year-old Seku Shabazz, formerly known as Jason Brooks, the president and CEO of Great Lakes Retirement Planning LLC, stole money from his employees’ 401(k) retirement saving plan contributions and withheld employer matching contributions from January 2020 through May 2022. He allegedly used approximately $38,000 of the retiremen” MORE >>
Source: PLANADVISER
“Seyfarth Synopsis: In a significant en banc decision, Bolton v. Inland Fresh Seafood Corporation of America, Inc., No. 24-10084, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overruled its four-decade-old precedent in Mason v.” MORE >>
Source: Seyfarth
“On October 13, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, sitting en banc, unanimously dropped its longstanding practice of requiring plan participants to exhaust their plan's administrative remedies before filing fiduciary breach claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).[1] As a result of this ruling, workers in the circuit will now have an easier time suing over their employee benefit plans.” MORE >>
Source: frblaw.com
“Find Your Next Job ! On September 30, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit joined the Sixth and Ninth Circuits in their interpretation of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act’s (EFAA) scope.” MORE >>
Source: National Law Review
General Benefits
1 item“I support considering environmental, social and governance factors when they help protect retirement savers. Climate exposure, workforce practices, conflicts of interest and corporate accountability can affect investment results. Fiduciaries should examine those risks. But ESG has become a political football. Republicans attack the E and S. Democrats celebrate them. Too often, both sides ignore the G—and Wall Street collects the fees. Governance means opening the books, controlling conflicts, verifying performance, understanding liquidity and protecting participants from excessive costs. An investment does not become well governed because its manager signs a sustainability pledge. Nor does it become prud MORE >>
Source: The Commonsense 401(k) Project
Also of Note
- Premium Tax Credit — “The IRS is proposing a rule concerning the Premium Tax Credit, which will affect how individuals and employers calculate and claim this credit for health insurance.” (IRS)