The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Retirement Plans
October 19, 2026
— § —
5 items · ~2 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (2) · Retirement Plans (1) · General Benefits (1) · Webinars (1)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
2 itemsThe Department of Labor proposed an exemption to allow the IBEW Local Union No. 99 Joint Apprenticeship Training Fund to purchase property from a related entity, avoiding prohibited transaction violations under ERISA. MORE >>
Source: Federal Register
“The new requirements would expand the scope of information that must be filed as part of the Annual Statement of Compliance to include documentation of plan investment policies and procedures for locating missing participants. “One of PBGC’s highest priorities is monitoring the stewardship of SFA funds to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used solely for their intended purpose,” said PBGC Director Janet Dhillon. “The proposed changes would give PBGC additional tools to verify that SFA funds are being managed responsibly and used to pay earned pension benefits to retirees and their beneficiaries.” MORE >>
Source: PBGC
Retirement Plans
1 item“It is an optional financing tool offered through a 401(k) brokerage window that allows participants to use preferred equity to make a larger upfront investment in the market and pay it off over 10 to 30 years. No. The financing is structured as preferred equity within a limited liability company (LLC), meaning there is no personal guarantee, no personal liability, and no risk of margin calls or auto-liquidations if the market declines.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
General Benefits
1 item“Now CERS has hired XTP Implementation Services to examine investment contracts and share in the savings. Recovering pension money sounds attractive. But the ownership relationships behind the investigator raise an unavoidable question: Could Kentucky’s fee investigation become a tool for selectively pressuring some private equity firms while protecting others? The public deserves an answer before a savings announcement becomes an excuse to stop asking questions. The 50% bounty is real In his September 14, 2026, report to the CERS board, CEO Ed Owens announced that CERS had finalized its agreement with XTP.” MORE >>
Source: The Commonsense 401(k) Project
Webinars
1 item“On Wednesday, November 18 at 12:00 p.m., please join Michael Kreps, Ryan Temme, Kevin Walsh, and Brigen Winters as they discuss the 2026 election results and the likely impacts on policies affecting health, retirement, and employee benefit plans. Specific topics include the outlook for potential healthcare legislation, the prospects for SECURE 3.0, the administration’s regulatory priorities, and more.” MORE >>
Source: Groom Law Group