State Sponsored Plans

The American Retirement Association on Feb. 21 sent a letter to the Oregon State Treasury containing its comments on the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan (ORSP), also known as OregonSaves. The ARA thanked the Oregon Treasury and the Oregon Retirement Savings Board for its work on the proposed rules... READ MORE

The Oregon State Treasury has put forth a proposal in support of its state-run plan for private-sector workers who don’t have a plan at work — that could affect private-sector 401(k) plans.The proposal is intended to implement recent changes in state law that will require Oregon employers that don’... READ MORE

A new report cautions that, while well-intentioned, states considering mandating automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRAs are likely to hurt the very workers they think they are helping. The report, published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, notes that under such programs: workers are... READ MORE

Recent changes to the proposed rules for the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan — which has since been renamed OregonSaves — were fueled by comments the Oregon State Treasury received that sought clarifications and additional information on what employers’ responsibilities will be once the plan is in... READ MORE

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series in which experts share their insights on some of their expectations for the coming year on issues relevant to retirement plans. Part 1 can be found here.The champagne flutes may be dry, but plenty of bubbling exuberance remains. And regarding... READ MORE

The Department of Labor (DOL) has made some changes to the final regulations regarding state-run retirement programs for private sector workers — specifically regarding those established by “state political subdivisions.”In a document slated to be published in the Federal Register on Dec. 20, the... READ MORE

The Department of Labor (DOL) has made some changes to the final regulations regarding state-run retirement programs for private sector workers — specifically regarding those established by “state political subdivisions.”In a document slated to be published in the Federal Register on Dec. 20, the... READ MORE

A last-ditch agreement between the Keystone state’s Democratic governor, Tom Wolf, and Republican legislators to reform the state’s pension plans failed by a three-vote margin last week, and the legislature is expected to kick the can into 2017. Garnering only 99 of the 102 votes needed for... READ MORE

State pension plans’ unfunded liabilities are on track to grow to $1.75 trillion, says Moody’s Investors Service. The rating agency said on Oct. 7 that it expects state public pensions to grow by 40% to that amount through fiscal 2017.By June 30, Moody’s says, the 100 largest U.S. public pension... READ MORE