The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Retirement Plans
October 22, 2026
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8 items · ~2 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (2) · Retirement Plans (3) · General Benefits (3)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
2 items“The IRS also provides the applicable 30-year Treasury weighted average interest rate and permissible range used for certain pension plan calculations. [IRS, Notice 2026-65, 10/19/26]” MORE >>
Source: news.bloomberglaw.com
[Retirement Plans]
PBGC Updates 2027 Maximum Monthly Guarantee Tables, Premiums“Guarantee limits and insurance premiums will rise slightly next year.” MORE >>
Source: Foley & Lardner
Retirement Plans
3 items“Every retirement plan should have an annual meeting. Not the participant education meeting. Not the investment review. I’m talking about a meeting where the people responsible for administering the plan sit down and ask one simple question: “How are we doing?” MORE >>
Source: The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.
“Notably, 34% of plan sponsors named defined contribution plans as the single most valued benefit, an increase from 15% in Morgan Stanley’s last retirement study in 2024. “The 401(k) has gone from just being part of the benefits package to a central piece of employees’ financial well-being. When sponsors see it standing alongside healthcare, that raises the bar,” wrote Jeremy France, head of institutional consulting solutions at Morgan Stanley, in an email to PLANADVISER.” MORE >>
Source: PLANADVISER
“New research-based withdrawal ranges of 4% to 5.5% aim to help retirees turn savings into sustainable income, while renamed target date funds emphasize their role in retirement spending Capital Group today announced the publication of research-based target date withdrawal ranges designed to help retirees translate their accumulated savings into sustainable retirement income.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
General Benefits
3 items“AI-empowered management platforms are just as quickly rolling out into the retirement plan advisor and plan sponsor worlds, with new systems being developed to electronically coordinate the not-so-well-connected responsibilities of TPAs, recordkeepers, fiduciary and other behind-the-scenes functionalities. Advisors are getting access to a thoroughly modernized range of AI assistants that can drastically simplify the behind-the-scenes scramble of balancing plan documentation, financial recordkeeping and administrative duties, allowing them to spend more time focusing on relationships with their clients.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“A State Street study suggests employers can offer practical support in helping employees navigate their transition into retirement.” MORE >>
Source: PLANSPONSOR
[Litigation]
Elon Musk Pledges SpaceX Shares to American Children“President Trump and other officials have subsequently suggested Musk’s SpaceX shares for children could be routed through the Trump Accounts system. Doing so might also mean children or their families would face rules including a mandatory five-year holding period during which they can’t sell their shares. While both offerings are generous moves on behalf of all young Americans, designed to help prompt their enthusiasm in investing and some potential long-term earnings, industry experts said that Musk and others’ growing private-sector involvement in the Trump Accounts raises many questions on their real-world functionality. Grace Lattyak, Partner at Aon, testified last week before the Treas” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist