April 2020

07Apr

Freezing A Defined Benefit Plan To Reduce Current Year Contribution Obligation

Defined benefit pension plans, including cash balance plans, require a contribution each year, which is primarily used to fund the benefits which participants accrue (i.e., earn) during the plan year. The annual required contribution may also include an amount needed to make up a shortfall in a prior year in the investment return on plan assets. In most defined benefit pension plans, a participant earns a benefit for a plan year after working 1,000 or more hours during that...

April 7, 2020
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07Apr

EIOPA publishes second report on costs and pasts performance of insurance based investment products and personal pension products

The European Insurance and Occupations Pensions Authority (EIOPA), has today published its second report on cost and past performance of insurance-based investments products (IBIPs) and personal pension products (PPPs) in the European Union. Read also Cost and past performance 2020 report The report is published following a request from the European Commission to the European Supervisory Authorities to periodically report on the costs and past performance of retail investment products. This report provides an analysis of costs for 2018 and...

April 7, 2020
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07Apr

German Digital Corporate Pension & Life Insurance Provider Xpension raises €25 Million Through Series C Investment Round Led By HPE Growth

Xpension, a German digital corporate pension and life insurance brand, announced on Monday it secured €25 million through its Series C funding round, led by HPE Growth with participation from Cinco Capital, led by Lars Hinrichs (Founder of XING and Chairman of Xpension), and Armada Investment. Founded in 2007, Xpension describes itself as an independent technology provider with shared-service solutions for occupational pension management and consultancy. The company currently has more than 120 staff members its Munich, Saarbrucken,...

April 7, 2020
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06Apr

US. Underfunded public plans facing a new round of woes

The coronavirus has increased pressure on underfunded public pension plans that were already facing significant stress before the crisis. Not only have plans' investment portfolios taken double-digit losses as a result of the pandemic, but government plan sponsors will need to increase their contributions at a time when revenues are down and expenditures are up. Read also US. Some companies are cutting 401(k) matches because of the coronavirus "This has put a lot of strain and stress on pension deficits,...

April 6, 2020
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06Apr

UK. Wakefield man who failed to claim pension gets £140k payout

He mistakenly thought he was not allowed to claim a state pension because he had continued to work long after reaching retirement age. He is now set to receive more than a decade's worth of payments in one lump sum. The error only came to light after Wakefield Council made inquiries on the man's behalf. In a report, councillor Michael Graham said: "To help our residents get more money in their pocket, we are using information we hold to...

April 6, 2020
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06Apr

European report suggests blockchain for welfare tracking

Government benefits and assistance might be more important now than ever. But even if you’ve been living under a rock, you know that holding government to account, and ensuring benefits reach their destination with minimal delay is important. A new report published by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) highlights how blockchain technology, like Bitcoin SV (BSV), could make that process more efficient. The April 2 report looks into several emerging technologies, like...

April 6, 2020
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06Apr

US. Some companies are cutting 401(k) matches because of the coronavirus

Some companies hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic are suspending or reducing matching contributions to their employee retirement plans. Others are exploring their options. Amtrak said an unprecedented loss of ridership and revenue has led the company to suspend its 401(k) match as a measure to “cut costs to minimize employee and service impacts,” according to Amtrak’s Kimberly Woods. The Marriott International retirement savings plan matching contribution for 2019, initially planned for March 10, has been delayed to September...

April 6, 2020
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03Apr

UK. L&G completes £261mn of pension risk transfer deals in March

UK insurer Legal & General Group plc (L&G) has revealed that its Pension Risk Transfer (PRT) division completed eight transactions over the past month, securing a combined £261 million of pensioners’ benefits during uncertain times. The eight transactions cover UK and U.S. pension schemes and varied in size from as low as £2.2 million to as high as £80 million. L&G notes that on March 27th alone, three separate PRT transactions were signed. Despite the impacts of the ongoing...

April 3, 2020
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03Apr

US. Highlights of Employee Benefits Provisions in the CARES Act

The President recently signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or “CARES Act.” The CARES Act is primarily a stimulus package that addresses the current coronavirus crisis, and it includes several provisions relating to employee benefit plans. Retirement Plans Penalty-free coronavirus-related distributions — The 10% early withdrawal penalty under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Section 72(t) is waived for “coronavirus-related distributions” of up to $100,000. In addition, the 20% withholding requirement on these distributions does not...

April 3, 2020
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03Apr

Financial tools to learn to invest without leaving home

News, market analysis, games… BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability offers a complete selection of online tools, provided by financial institutions, start-ups and specialized organizations for investors who need information and advice, and users who want to get started in the investment field. Here are some of them: The Financial Diet It is mainly a YouTube channel on personal finances with short, easy to understand, highly educational videos. The playlist contains audiovisual content that covers all types...

April 3, 2020
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