Ted Godbout

A new report from the Government Accountability Office looks at the barriers people face when seeking to obtain a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) and offers recommendations on how the process can be improved.   In “DOL Could Better Inform Divorcing Parties About Dividing Savings,” the... READ MORE

The IRS has provided some answers to questions concerning the small employer automatic enrollment credit, part-time vesting rules and other provisions under the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act).   IRS Notice 2020-68, issued Sept. 2, provides guidance on some... READ MORE

Employees are mostly satisfied with their company’s response to COVID-19, but there has been a change in sentiment concerning employee benefits, according to a series of surveys.  The Hartford’s Future of Benefits Study, which polled U.S. workers and human resources benefit decision makers in... READ MORE

It looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out whether Congress and the Trump administration include retirement plan relief in the next round of economic relief to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.    The Democrat-controlled House has been deadlocked with the Republican-... READ MORE

Fidelity has once again come out with its annual estimate of how much it will cost to cover health care in retirement—and it’s a doozy.     Released to help better educate employees on the importance of planning for health care costs, particularly for those approaching traditional retirement age... READ MORE

While various shifts were seen in savings plan contributions and withdrawals in the first few months of the outbreak, there have been some improvements as of late, according to data from Ascensus.    In the first few months of the COVID outbreak, the firm reported on a relatively small percentage... READ MORE

After a period of starts and stops over the past week, the Senate Republican leadership unveiled a $1 trillion Coronavirus relief package July 27.  As an opening counter to the House of Representatives’ HEROES Act, the GOP’s Health, Economic Assistance, Liability and Schools (HEALS) Act sets the... READ MORE

Addressing the 2020 NAPA D.C. Fly-In Forum July 21, a key Department of Labor (DOL) official confirmed that the DOL’s deadline relief provided in response to the Coronavirus pandemic also applies to initial paper notices under the DOL’s new electronic disclosure regulations.    Responding to a... READ MORE

Legislation has been introduced in the New Jersey state legislature that would impose a tax on financial transactions—including those in your 401(k)—to fix the state’s widening budget gap.    Unlike other financial transaction tax (FTT) proposals, however, this bill takes a slightly different... READ MORE