Employee Benefits Blog

To the Moon After All? DOL Targets Cryptocurrency in Retirement Plans

In Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (the “Release”), the Department of Labor (the “Department”) signaled its intention to scrutinize inclusion of cryptocurrency assets and crypto-derivative products as investments in ERISA-covered retirement plans. In particular, the Release articulates the Department’s view that offering exposure to this asset class – either in a plan’s investment lineup or […]

March 25, 2022 | 2 min read | Tagged: 2022-01, audit, Bitcoin, brokerage window, Compliance assistance release, crypto, cryptocurrency, Department of Labor, DOL, EBSA, ERISA, fiduciary, investigation

Matthew P. Chiarello Partner

Not All Surprises Are Good – Phase I of the Surprise Billing Rules

On July 1, 2021, the Office of Personnel Management, Department of the Treasury, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Labor issued the interim final rule “Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part I” (the “IFR”), which is the first phase of regulations implementing the No Surprises Act. The No Surprises Act provides certain […]

August 16, 2021 | 1 min read | Tagged: Department of Labor, ifr, no surprises act, surprise billing

Allison B. Bans Counsel

Five Lawsuits Filed Against DOL’s Fiduciary Rule (so far)

As we previously discussed in our May 19, 2016 SW Benefits Update, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently issued final regulations on fiduciary conflicts of interest in retirement programs. Since 2010 when the DOL first proposed regulations addressing self-interested advice to retirement plan and IRA participants, the rule has been widely criticized by some in […]

June 13, 2016 | 2 min read | Tagged: Benefits Update, conflict of interest, Congress, Department of Labor, DOL, fiduciary, fiduciary rule, final regulations, Obama, President Obama, regulations, Senate, veto

Anne M. Meyer Partner