The Daily Brief for Benefits Professionals
BenefitsWire
Retirement Plans
October 30, 2026
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6 items · ~2 min read
In this issue
Regulatory Action and Guidance (3) · Retirement Plans (3)
Regulatory Action and Guidance
3 items“On October 15, 2026, the President signed the Retire Through Ownership Act, which amends ERISA section 3(18), the definition of “adequate consideration,” for stock that is not publicly traded and is bought by an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Under the new provision, an ESOP fiduciary may rely in good faith on a valuation from an independent valuation expert or business appraiser who relied on the principles and methodologies in IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60, as amplified and modified by the IRS from time to time.” MORE >>
Source: Jackson Walker
“Numerous changes were made to the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”), updating it for law changes. EPCRS clarifies that as a general principle employers need to satisfy the plan document requirements and operate the plans in compliance with the documents. Some of the other changes include incorporating the broadening of EPCRS and its self-correction program (“SCP”), defining what is an eligible inadvertent failure, listing failures not eligible for SCP, permitting self-correction of certain Demographic Failures, Employer Eligibility Failures, and Plan Document Failures, self-correction of certain loan failures, requiring a plan sponsor to ensure that a spouse receives the ” MORE >>
Source: Jackson Walker
“The IRS recently issued Revenue Procedure 2026-34, a significant update to the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS). The new guidance, which is effective immediately, incorporates changes made by the SECURE 2.0 Act and expands and clarifies several correction options available to retirement plan sponsors.” MORE >>
Source: Foster Swift Collins & Smith
Retirement Plans
3 items“New research paper finds target date funds, passive investing and lower fees have transformed DC plan investment options, even as core menu structures remain largely unchanged The most significant changes to defined contribution plan core menus over the past decade have come not from expanding investment lineups, but from the growing use of professionally managed solutions, according to a new paper released Oct.” MORE >>
Source: 401(k) Specialist
“Plan sponsors should consider how risk could move through an insurer’s structure, where protections are strongest and how benefits would ultimately be assured.” MORE >>
Source: PLANSPONSOR
“One near-term option for defined contribution plan sponsors seeking to encourage participants to maximize lifetime income is to provide tools or education on the potential value of delayed claiming of Social Security retirement benefits. Want the latest retirement plan adviser news and insights? Sign up for PLANADVISER newsletters. There are decades of research exploring the potential benefits of delayed claiming, and the relative benefit is generally considered to be an optimal first step, given the underlying economics of the system. However, tools to help participants determine when to optimally claim benefits appear to be relatively rare.” MORE >>
Source: PLANADVISER