News & Analysis as of

Investment Opportunities Employee Benefits

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Texas Federal Judge: DOL ESG Investing Rule Does Not Violate ERISA

On September 21, 2023, a Texas federal court dismissed an action commenced by more than two dozen Republican state attorneys general challenging a 2022 Department of Labor (DOL) Rule that addressed consideration of ESG...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

American Airlines Moves to Dismiss Suit Challenging Inclusion of ESG Funds in Retirement Plan

In August 2023, American Airlines, Inc. moved to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed against the airline for allegedly jeopardizing employees’ retirement savings by investing in environmental, social and governance (ESG)...more

Littler

Michigan Court Dismisses ERISA Class-Action

Littler on

Fiduciaries of 401(k) and other retirement plans continue to be targeted by class action lawsuits brought under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) challenging fiduciary decisions regarding investment options...more

Nossaman LLP

Federal Court Rejects States’ Challenge to DOL’s ESG Investing Rule

Nossaman LLP on

On September 21, 2023, a federal judge in Texas granted summary judgment in, and thus dismissed, a lawsuit filed by the Attorneys General of 25 states and other interested parties challenging a final rule issued by the U.S....more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Republicans Reintroduce House Bill to Limit ESG Considerations in Retirement Investing

On June 21, two Republican members of Congress renewed efforts to enact legislation that arguably would restrict investment managers from taking into account ESG considerations in investing on behalf of retirement funds. U.S....more

Jones Day

Congressional Republicans and State Attorneys General Challenge Biden Administration's ESG 401(k) Rule

Jones Day on

Republicans at the state and federal levels are challenging a Biden administration rule (the "Rule") intended to walk back Trump-era regulations restricting the ability of retirement fund managers to consider climate change...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

99 Cents Stores To Fork More Than A Dollar in 401(k) lawsuit

99 Cents Only Stores have come to terms with an excessive fee suit involving their 401(k) plan for about $749,901.01 more than their name. 99 Cents Only was sued for 1) for breach of fiduciary duties of prudence and...more

Littler

Federal Court Dismisses Case Alleging Breach of ERISA Fiduciary Duties in 401(k) Class Action

Littler on

Fiduciaries of retirement plans continue to be plagued by class actions brought under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) challenging their fiduciary management of investment options and participant fees. A...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Biden vetoes ESG proposal overturn

If your Department of Labor (DOL) proposes a rule, as President, you’re not likely to throw them under the bus and overrule them. In a move that surprised no one, President Joe Biden used his first veto to preserve a...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

ForUsAll to offer CoinDesk index

401(k) participants may be able to invest part of their 401(k) account balance directly into the CoinDesk Market Select Index (CMIS) under an arrangement by ForUsAll and CoinDesk Inc. By expanding the investment options to...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Plan errors are more likely than fiduciary breaches

If you read my writings, you know that fiduciary liability is one of the plan sponsor’s more important concerns as a plan fiduciary. Since participant-directed plans under ERISA §404(c) are supposed to limit a plan sponsor’s...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Kansas Public Employees Retirement System Warns of Adverse Consequences From “Anti-ESG” Bills

Earlier this month, the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) urged legislators to reject key aspects of “anti-ESG” bills introduced in the Kansas Senate and House of Representatives. Both bills are designed, in...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Senator wants crypto option, good luck

As Bitcoin starts inching back up, I’m in the black again and expect more clamor for crypto options in 401(k) plans. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, reintroduced legislation to create a law, the Financial Freedom Act...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

President Biden Expected to Issue First Veto to Preserve DOL ESG Investment Rule

President Biden will likely issue the first veto of his presidency after Congress passed a measure that would repeal a Department of Labor rule that allows retirement plan fiduciaries to consider ESG-related factors in...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Microsoft wins Blackrock TDF lawsuit

A U.S. District Court judge threw out a case against Microsoft which claimed that the BlackRock LifePath Index Funds suite of target-date funds was an imprudent investment choice for their plan participants....more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

The thing about ESG

While the Biden administration’s Department of Labor (DOL) final environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rule went into effect, I think it’s much to do about nothing....more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Participants don’t want crypto either

When things are going great, people are interested. When it isn’t, they aren’t. A new survey of retirement plan sponsors, financial advisors, and plan participants show little interest among plan participants to invest...more

Littler

Update in ERISA Litigation Involving Breaches of Fiduciary Duty Claims

Littler on

Lawsuits against employers offering retirement benefit plans have been on the rise.  Recent suits, discussed in this update, have provided some guidance for employers.  In January 2022, the Supreme Court issued the Hughes...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Be wary of people like SBF

My wife doesn’t know much about crypto, but she is fascinated by what happened with FTX and SBF. She doesn’t understand how someone like that, could be involved in such a scam. Unlike me, my wife never knew two plan...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Crypto theft is another strike against Bitcoin 401(k)

While technology makes it easier for bad actors to steal the retirement assets of plan participants, it’s far easier to steal from 401(k) plans with crypto investments. 401(k) plans that have Bitcoin investments would have a...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Avoid the nonsense about anti-ESG rhetoric

My wife forwarded me an op-ed piece, criticizing the Biden administration rule change on ESG investments in 401(k) plans. Obviously, the person writing it doesn’t understand how 401(k) plans work. ...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

DOL releases final ESG Rule

On November 22, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its final rule for retirement plan fiduciaries wishing to incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their investment selection and monitoring...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Even when offered, ESG funds aren’t that popular

Research shows that 401(k) plan participants who direct their investment, rarely allocate to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments....more

Lathrop GPM

Cryptocurrency as a 401(K) Plan Investment Option

Lathrop GPM on

Fidelity Investments recently announced it is making a Bitcoin account available as an investment option for 401(k) plans, fueling a debate about cryptocurrencies and fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA. In what might...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

DOL Warns Sponsors against Permitting Cryptocurrency-Related Investments on 401(k) Plan Investment Menus

The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) last month issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-1 - 401(k) Plan Investments in “Cryptocurrencies” (the “Release”) in which it strongly cautions ERISA plan fiduciaries to use...more

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