The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Retirement Plans
October 21, 2026
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12 items · ~3 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (1) · Retirement Plans (3) · Litigation (6) · General Benefits (2)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
1 item“The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation announced on October 14, 2026 that for 2027 premiums for multiemployer pension plans will be a flat $42 per participant. This represents a 5% increase from 2026 rates (a $2 increase) and a 40% increase from rate levels 10 years ago ($30 per participant).” MORE >>
Source: Ogletree Deakins
Retirement Plans
3 items“While not yet made official by the Internal Revenue Service, there’s little mystery as to what the 2027 IRS retirement plan contribution limits will be after last week’s release of September Consumer Price Index Data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Upon receiving those final data points—the 2027 limits will reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026—Milliman and Marsh (formerly Mercer) have each released their final forecasts for the 2027 401(k) contribution limits, and they match up exactly. So what’s in store? Another $1,000 increase to the maximum 401(k), 403(b) and eligible 457 plan contribu” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“Fiduciaries need to focus on system design, governance and investment oversight to ensure good outcomes for savers and retirees, according to a pension index study.” MORE >>
Source: PLANADVISER
“One panelist suggested plan sponsors can take a ‘do no harm’ approach to offering the benefit of lifetime income.” MORE >>
Source: PLANSPONSOR
Litigation
6 items“In an en banc decision in Bolton v. Inland Fresh Seafood Corporation of America, the Eleventh Circuit overruled its longstanding rule requiring plaintiffs to exhaust internal plan procedures before bringing statutory ERISA claims, including claims for breach of fiduciary duty. The court held that ERISA does not require plaintiffs asserting statutory claims to exhaust a plan’s internal administrative procedures before filing suit in federal court.” MORE >>
Source: Haynes Boone
“The employer group argues that recent cases seek to recast plan sponsor decisions as fiduciary acts.” MORE >>
Source: PLANSPONSOR
“As Employee Retirement Income Security Act lawsuits continue to move through the federal courts, industry groups are increasingly filing on behalf of employers to highlight how plaintiffs’ success victories could affect plan fiduciaries and sponsors.” MORE >>
Source: Morgan Lewis (ML BeneBits)
“As Florida attorney general, Moody was one of just three trustees of the State Board of Administration, alongside the governor and chief financial officer. The Florida Retirement System Pension Plan held approximately $198 billion in June 2024, during her tenure. By June 2025, it held $211.5 billion.New reporting from Drop Site News scrutinizes her office’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s work-release arrangement and reports campaign contributions from people identified in Epstein-related records. The pension dimension makes the accountability question larger: some of the financial institutions connected to those records also had access to Florida workers’ retirement capital.Apollo and ” MORE >>
Source: The Commonsense 401(k) Project
“Quick Hits Discussion The Supreme Court denied the petition for a writ of certiorari in Wilcox v. Trump, without explanation, as is customary. The denial puts an end to Wilcox’s legal challenge seeking reinstatement.” MORE >>
Source: Ogletree Deakins
“A recent decision from a federal district court in New Jersey confirms a difficult reality for employers that prevail in withdrawal liability litigation: more often than not, success on the merits does not result in recovery of attorneys’ fees....” MORE >>
Source: Conn Maciel Carey LLP
General Benefits
2 items“Americans may see GLP-1 drugs as an investment in their long-term health, but the cost of these medications could come at the expense of their retirement savings.” MORE >>
Source: Employee Benefit News
[Retirement Plans]
401(k) Plans Rival Healthcare as Top Employee Benefit“Morgan Stanley's 2026 survey finds 93% of employers rank 401(k) plans among the most valued employee benefits, matching healthcare and outpacing PTO Have 401(k) offerings become just as valuable a workplace benefit as more traditional offerings such as healthcare, paid time off or flexible work schedules?” MORE >>
Source: Ogletree Deakins