A prominent Democrat expressed concerns that the Department of Labor’s proposed rule on alternative investments could lead to the decline of public markets, fearing it would shift investment away from traditional public equities.

The DOL's Technical Release 2026-02 clarifies that employer contribution programs to Trump accounts—retirement accounts for minors—generally are not considered ERISA-covered employee pension plans, except when the employee themselves is the Trump account beneficiary. Employers can avoid ERISA coverage by limiting contributions to dependents' accounts, using pre-tax salary reduction under cafeteria plans, or ensuring voluntary participation without employer control or endorsement.

The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law will host a live virtual program on August 12, 2026, titled "Mastering Conservation Easement Appraisals: Think Like The IRS" featuring panelist Stephen Small. The event runs from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (EDT) and focuses on understanding conservation easement appraisals from the IRS perspective.

Pontera is engaging Washington insiders in an effort to circumvent Fidelity’s existing ban on file-sharing, according to Ari Sonneberg's June 23, 2026 article on RIABiz. The strategy appears to be a backdoor approach to challenge the restriction.

COBRA compliance requires ongoing oversight by the plan administrator, as they retain legal responsibility for providing accurate notices even when outsourcing to third-party vendors. Periodic reviews are essential because deficient COBRA notices can lead to penalties, litigation, and participant claims.

David Gabor will be a panelist in the National Business Institute live webinar titled "AI in Document Review and Management: The Ultimate Guide" on September 22, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (EDT). The event details and registration are available through The Wagner Law Group.

Marcia Wagner from The Institute for Professional Development will present a session on August 12, 2026, covering the tax implications of fringe benefits for municipal and school officials. The event details and registration are available through The Wagner Law Group.

The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, Treasury, and the Office of Personnel Management finalized the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) Operations rule under the No Surprises Act, introducing significant changes such as reduced administrative fees, payer registration, and stricter dispute eligibility reviews, effective August 2026. While the rule aims to streamline the federal IDR process and reduce ineligible disputes, employer-sponsored health plans face growing financial risks due to high provider win rates and escalating IDR-related costs.

The discussion on including alternative assets in 401(k) plans is intensifying due to regulatory changes, product innovation, and increasing openness from plan sponsors, framed within the ERISA regulations governing defined contribution plans.

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in M & K Employee Solutions v. Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund that actuaries can select assumptions for calculating withdrawal liability after the measurement date, provided those assumptions reflect information known as of that date. While this decision disadvantages employers by allowing post-measurement changes that can increase liabilities, it affirmed that assumptions must be reasonable and based on contemporaneous data, and remain subject to challenge if deemed biased.