John Iekel

Falls Church

Senior Writer at ASPPA

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Articles

Less Fun in Q1 for Private-Sector DB Plans

1 week ago | asppa-net.org | John Iekel

The first quarter of 2025 started out promising, with funding ratio gains. But February was a bit of a rollercoaster, and March was chilly. The result? Q1 was lackluster for private-sector pension plans. Funded StatusPrivate-sector pension plans’ funded ratios ended up falling during the first quarter of 2025. But good news — it wasn’t by much.
Alaska Work & Save Closer to Being Enacted

1 week ago | ntsa-net.org | John Iekel

The Last Frontier may be the next state to join the patchwork of states across the lower 48 that have established a retirement program that covers individuals whose private-sector employers don’t offer a plan. Legislation that would create Alaska Work & Save is inching closer to enactment. The Labor and Commerce Committee of the Alaska Senate on April 7 reported out SB 21, the bill that would create the program. The bill’s sponsor, Sen.
Dispel Distribution Distress

1 week ago | asppa-net.org | John Iekel

An expanded array of distributions from a retirement account is now more readily available. There are rules for their application, but making them available is up to the discretion of a plan sponsor. Industry experts recently discussed some of the distributions a plan can allow, and some of the considerations that entails. Panelists included Jessica Kovachik, a Retirement Plan Consultant with Lincoln Investment, and Perri Williams, Associate Director of Retirement Plan Support at Invesco.
Ides of March for DB Plans

2 weeks ago | asppa-net.org | John Iekel

Beware the Ides of March. Sometimes proverbs are the stuff of myth, and sometimes they ring true; this March, the latter applied for private-sector pension plans according to several analyses. Funding Status Temperatures rose in March, as they always do — but the funded status of private-sector pension plans was their converse. The funded percentage of the plans four analysts track fell by between 0.5 percentage points and 2 percentage points.
Roth, Traditional IRA Ownership, Balances Growing Steadily

2 weeks ago | ntsa-net.org | John Iekel

Ownership of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) has grown, as have the balances in them, says the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The report, “Traditional, Roth, and Rollover Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Ownership in 2022,” provides an overview of IRAs and their use as savings vehicles.
MarketBeat: State Programs and Plan Access Momentum

2 weeks ago | ntsa-net.org | John Iekel

The growing population of state-programs that provide retirement plan coverage to private-sector employees whose employers do not are intended to ameliorate the effects of lack of access to a retirement plan. An expert panel recently offered its take on those programs and how well they are doing in fulfilling their purpose. The March 27 discussion centered on research by the Center for Retirement Initiatives (CRI) at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
Auto-Enroll for the Hawaii Retirement Savings Program Progresses

2 weeks ago | ntsa-net.org | John Iekel

The Hawaii Retirement Savings Program is one step closer to shifting from requiring employees to opt in if they want to participate to instead automatically enrolling them. A state Senate Committee has given legislation that would do that its imprimatur. That’s unanimous imprimatur, actually — the Finance Committee of the Hawaii Senate recommended that SB 855 be passed without amendment in a 14-0 vote on April 1. Assistant Majority Whip Henry Aquino (D-Waipahu) introduced SB 855 on Jan.
Benefits Timing, Plan Participation on States’ Agendas

2 weeks ago | ntsa-net.org | John Iekel

Measures before state governments could have a variety of effects on participation in state-run retirement plans and participants. Auto Enrollment in New Jersey May ExpandLegislation before the New Jersey Assembly would expand auto enrollment in the Garden State if it is enacted. Assemblywoman Rosaura Bagolie (D-Livingston) introduced the bill, A 4562.
Alaska Work & Save Inching Closer to Enactment

2 weeks ago | asppa-net.org | John Iekel

The Last Frontier may be the next state to join the patchwork of states across the lower 48 that have established a retirement program that covers individuals whose private-sector employers don’t offer a plan. Legislation that would create Alaska Work & Save is inching closer to enactment. The Labor and Commerce Committee of the Alaska Senate on April 7 reported out SB 21, the bill that would create the program. The bill’s sponsor, Sen.
North Dakota Creates DC Plan for New State Employees

2 weeks ago | asppa-net.org | John Iekel

North Dakota may experience more cold waves than most states, but its retirement plan offerings are heating up. A new law just enacted in the Peace Garden State creates a defined contribution plan for new state employees. The new law allows employers of political subdivisions in North Dakota to participate in the newly established tier in the DC plan, while allowing their existing defined benefit plan members to continue participating in it. The legislation moved quickly. Rep.