Pension & Benefits Reporter Index-Summary

IDAHO

– Health coverage to be terminated for state retirees over 65, House approves bill, 495; bill passed, 849; signed, 966

INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS (IRAs)

– Automatic direct-deposit IRAs

– – Labor Dep't FY2010 budget includes, 450
– – Neal (D-Mass) proposes, 533; bill ready to go, 746
– – Proposal reviewed by Treasury official, 1482
– – Risks outlined, 532

– Contribution information, In Brief, 1073
– Distribution to fund grandson's trust cleared by Labor Dep't, 2324
– Expansion of payroll IRAs included in FY2010 budget, 451
– HSA use growing faster than IRAs, 413
– Latin America, IRA reforms reviewed, 1640
– Publications updated by IRS, 1744
– Reporting requirements and waiver of minimum withdrawals, IRS issues guidance, 51
– Review of rules, In Brief, 1810
– Roth IRAs

See ROTH IRAs

– Savings

– – Effects, CRS reports, 60
– – Incentives issued by Treasury, 2081

– SIMPLE IRAs, In Brief, 2093
– Streamlined compliance guidelines urged, 463
– Tax-free distributions, Congress urged to make permanent, 8

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

– Adoption of HIT surveyed, 770
– Baucus (D-Mont) offers stimulus bill with health IT funding, 175
– Democrats economic stimulus packages pushes health care IT, preventive care, and comparative effectiveness, 122
– Federal enforcement of health IT rules urged, 306
– Focus of IT should be communications, white paper urges, 131
– Hospital IT use leads to fewer deaths and saves money, study finds, 234
– Kennedy (D-RI) supports health IT funding, 235
– Legislation

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 1, S 1

– Roundtable pushes health IT, 131
– Rural hospitals may not meet HIT timeline, 963

INTEREST RATES

– AFR tables, In Brief, 2385
– Applicable federal rates, IRS Rev. Rules., Jan. 2009, 60; Feb., 167; text, 203; Mar., 393; text, 439; Apr., 682; May, 994; Jun., 1268; text, 1332; Jul., 1543; text, 1582; Aug., 1745; Sep., 1949; text, 1982; Oct., 2178; text, 2215; Nov., 2422; text, 2455
– Executive compensation, interest rate used to calculate retirement benefits, firm estopped from lowering (N.D. Ga.), 143
– Funding

– – Automatic approval, IRS plans final rules, 2267
– – Modification of Treasury rules sought by benefits council, 112

– PBGC variable rate premiums, 43; 149; 438; 995; 1051; 1335; 1531; 1731; 1939; 2406
– Quarterly overpayment and underpayments, 619; 1268; 1326
– Spot interest rates permitted by IRS to meet fund obligations, 828
– Weighted average interest rate, 288; 322; 539; 598; 1127; 1183; 1413; 1465; 1639; 1669; 1852; 1883; 2091; 2328; text, 2361

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)

See also EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS; TAX REFORM AND SIMPLIFICATION; TAXATION
– Appointments

– – Division heads named, 1012
– – Enforcement chief named, 2092
– – Large and midsize business division, In Brief, 2385

– Budget FY2010 includes enhanced tax enforcement, 1114
– COBRA

See COBRA

– Determination letters, comments sought, In Brief, 1357
– Disaster relief

See NATURAL DISASTERS

– Enforcement policy

See ENFORCEMENT POLICY

– Informal advice, In Brief, 2233
– Interest rates

See INTEREST RATES

– Law student program, 1593
– Letter rulings, comments sought, In Brief, 1357
– Replacing retirees, In Brief, 2093

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

See also specific countries
– Asian nations urged to modernize retirement systems to ensure financial sustainability, 63
– IRS

– – Increased focus on global issues described, 2270
– – Reporting foreign payments, In Brief, 2385

– IRS priority guidance plan for 2009-2010 reviewed, 2420
– Latin America, IRA reforms reviewed, 1640
– Model Tax Treaty, pension revisions suggested, 1681
– Savings systems compared, 1689
– Significant losses reported for public social security systems, 1017

INTERNET

– Social media sites, firms urged to be cautious in monitoring, 1636

INVESTMENT ADVISERS

– Conflicted advice

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 1988, HR 2989

– Fiduciary duty, Labor Dep't issues rule, 157; extension proposed, 282; extension of effective date sought, 391; Miller (D-Cal) criticizes rule, 610; effective date delayed, 681; Andrews (D-NJ) criticizes, 746; delayed again, 1254
– Fireman's Fund accused of negligently hiring investment advisors, no ERISA preemption (N.D. Cal.), 2064
– Focus by Congress predicted after plan losses, 221; correction, 295
– Safe harbor sought by ABA tax section, 1255

INVESTMENTS

– AA Capital Partners (N.D. Ill., In Brief), 1874
– Anheuser-Busch, worker's estate cannot recover investment losses (E.D. Mo.), 2309
– Beacon asset valuation, benefit plans seek to intervene, 2251
– Carried interest

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 1935

– Company stock

See FIDUCIARY DUTY

– Corrective contributions, IRS allows firms to take investment losses into account, 685
– Employer stock

See FIDUCIARY DUTY

– Focus of SEC for 2010 outlined, 2422
– Foreign investments by retirement plans, IRS urged to clarify status, 1740
– Infrastructure investment, pension funds to increase, 2226
– Kohl (D-Wis) calls on agencies to review target date funds, 458
– Lucent transfer of investments to stock fund was breach of discretion (W.D. Mo.), 1041
– Madoff scandal

– – Beacon managing member seeks determination of asset value (S.D.N.Y.), 1926
– – Claiming losses with IRS, investors urged, 455; IRS to recognize investment thefts, 671
– – Fairfield, Conn., plans suit over Madoff-related losses (Conn. Super. Ct.), 567
– – Fairfield Greenwich to reimburse investors (Mass. Sec. Div.), 2127
– – False profits, trustee announce settlement (S.D.N.Y.), 1313
– – Fiduciary duty

– – – Austin Capital sued over losses (E.D. Pa.), 420; sued over Madoff-related investments (S.D.N.Y.), 1037
– – – Buffalo Labors accuse firms of facilitating Madoff fraud (S.D.N.Y.), 2355
– – – Class actions allege gross negligence, RICO and ERISA violations, 1033
– – – EBSA issues statement, 281
– – – Liability exposure, Special Report, 348
– – – Multiemployer benefit fund trustees sue over Madoff-related investments (W.D.N.Y.), 909
– – – “Red flags” cited in pension fund suit (E.D. Pa.), 1609

– – Forfeited assets sought as restitution (S.D.N.Y), 2256
– – Guidance from IRS may help, 670
– – Ivy Asset Mgmt. sued by union funds (S.D.N.Y.), 2306
– – Liquidation trustee will not release information returns to investors, 282
– – Relief sought for taxes paid by clients on false returns from bogus hedge funds, 218
– – Sentence for Madoff, In Brief, 1616
– – Sponsors urged to inform PBGC if unable to pay benefits, 281
– – Theft loss deduction and refund on fictitious income called complimentary approaches to recoup losses, 647; victims using theft loss safe harbor, 1202

– Merrill Lynch

– – Losses on investments, ML settles accusations (S.D.N.Y.), 183; preliminary approval, 911
– – Risky investments, fiduciary breach claimed (M.D.N.C.), 2305

– Pay-to-play

See SECURITIES

– Public Private Investment Program, Treasury sets deadline, 886
– Public works, use of pension funds and Social Security trust fund to finance proposed, 225
– Regions Bank accused of improper investments (W.D. Tenn.), 1776
– State Street Bank, fiduciary breach allegations

– – Apogee Enterprises sue over subprime mortgage-backed securities, investments called fiduciary breach (D. Minn.), 253
– – Class action filed over securities lending losses (D. Mass.), 913
– – Mortgage-backed securities, approval of settlement sought (S.D.N.Y.), 2250
– – Sells off GM stock, 1067
– – Sisters of Charity sue over subprime mortgage investments (S.D.N.Y.), 1038
– – Uploading investments no breach (E.D. Mich.), 705
– – Waste Management settlement challenged, firm accused of breach (D.D.C.), 642

– Stock drop claims

See FIDUCIARY DUTY

– Teamsters asset manager accused of imprudent investments (N.D.N.Y.), 2205
– Trends

– – Infrastructure investment, pension funds to increase, 2226
– – Traditional market strategies, pension funds maintain, 2326

– Wachokia mortgages challenged by pension funds (D.N.J.), 1712

IRAN

– Fla. terror-free investment bill signed, 1352
– Public plan divestment

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 1327

IRAs

See INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS (IRAs)

IRS

See INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)

ITALY

– COLA rejected by tribunal, 172
– IMF urges pension reform, 471
– Private plans

– – Cash positions, In Brief, 624
– – Worker transfers permitted, 401

– Public pensions

– – Costs down, 229
– – Reform announced, 64; halted, In Brief, 762

– Stock options, taxing for workers living out of Italy, rules clarified, 890