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  • About Us
    • Mission
    • Team
  • Take Action
    • Retirement Fairness for Educators and Nonprofit Worker
  • Resources
    • ARA Advocacy Materials
    • 403(b) CIT Materials
    • The What’s and When’s of SECURE 2.0
    • Comment Letters
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AICPA Proposed Statement on Auditing Standards

Sep 21, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) with recommendations to improve the Proposed Statement on Auditing Standards that would modify the auditing standards related to employee benefit plan subject to ERISA. The American Retirement Association recommended to eliminate the new public disclosure requirement, to retain the materiality threshold...

Extension of DOL Transition Period & Delay of BICE Applicability

Sep 13, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the Department of Labor to ask for an extension of the transition period and delay of the applicability date of the Fiduciary Regulation recommending a “tiered” approach to determine the applicability date for the delayed provisions of the Best Interest Contract Exemption, the Principal Transaction Exemption, and amendments to...

Hurricane Harvey Relief Request to IRS

Aug 29, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the Internal Revenue Service to request for relief for taxpayers and service providers adversely affected by Hurricane Harvey. Specifically, American Retirement Association asked for hardship distribution relief and Form 5500 filing deadline relief patterned on past IRS announcements in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. (more…)

DOL’s Request for Information on Fiduciary Rule and PTEs

Jul 18, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the Department of Labor to respond to the Department’s Request for Information regarding the Fiduciary Rule and Prohibited Transaction Exemptions. In the letter, the American Retirement Association recommends a delay of the January 1, 2018 applicability date for certain provisions of the Best Interest Contract Exemption, the Principal Transaction...

Request for 408(b)(2) Relief Guidance from DOL

Jun 22, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the Department of Labor to request interpretative guidance with respect to the obligation of a covered service provider to disclose a change in the information required to be provided under ERISA Section 408(b)(2) resulting from the June 9, 2017 applicability date for the Fiduciary Rule and related prohibited transaction...

IRS 2017-2018 Priority Guidance Plan

Jun 20, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the Internal Revenue Service to recommend an order of priority for Retirement Benefit items to be included on the 2017-2018 Priority Guidance Plan in response to IRS Notice 2017-28. (more…)

Mid-Year Changes to Safe Harbor Plans

Jun 8, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the Internal Revenue Service to provide recommendations on mid-year safe harbor amendments in response to IRS Notice 2016-16. The American Retirement Association recommended that the guidance contained in IRS Notice 2016-16 be expanded further in six specific areas. (more…)

DOL Conflict of Interest Regulation

Apr 17, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the Department of Labor to respond to a request for comment with respect to the Conflict of Interest Regulation and related exemptions. In the letter, the American Retirement Association recommended: 1) that the definition of Level Fee in the Best Interest Contract Exemption be clarified to permit a Level...

PSCA Proprose Safe Harbor Approach to DOL and Treasury

Apr 7, 2017

The Plan Sponsor Council of America wrote to both the Departments of Labor and Treasury to ask for additional guidance to address the various compliance issues that arise under ERISA and the tax code when there is a missing or nonresponsive participant and to propose a ten-step sample safe harbor program to satisfy those issues....

Extension of COI Applicability Date

Mar 15, 2017

The American Retirement Association wrote to the Department of Labor to provide comments with respect to the proposed extension of the applicability date for the Conflict of Interest Regulation and related exemptions. The American Retirement Association recommended that the applicability date be delayed until January 1, 2018 and that transitional relief with regard to the...

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Recent Congressional Updates

  • ARA Submits Statement of Support for the Automatic IRA Act of 2025
  • ARA Submits Statement for the Record Calling to Bring Into the Savings Fold Millions of American Workers Who Lack Access to Workplace Retirement Plans
  • ARA Submits Statement of Support for the INVEST Act (H.R. 3383) Sec. 202, Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions
  • ARA Submits Statement on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Hearing “Pension Predators: Stopping Class Action Abuse Against Workers’ Retirement.”
  • ARA Submits Statement for the Record in Support of Strengthening America’s Employer-Sponsored Retirement System

Recent Comment Letters

  • ARA Submits Letter on CC-00349938-26 (RIN 1545-BS14), Guidance on Eligible Investments for Trump Accounts
  • ARA Submits Letter on REG-107855-25, Determination of Target Normal Cost and Funding Target for Single-Employer Defined Benefit Plans
  • ARA Submits Letter on Notice 2026-48, Notice of Intent to Issue Regulations with Respect to Saver’s Match Contributions
  • ARA Submits Letter on Employer Contributions to Trump Accounts and Nondiscrimination Rules for Dependent Care Assistance Programs
  • ARA Submits Letter on Proposed Rule on Penalties for Failure to Provide Certain Notices or Other Material Information

Tagged Topics

84-14 (3) 403(b)plan (7) 403b Plan (7) ACOPA (4) ASEA (3) Bobby Scott (4) CITs (6) Collective Investment Trusts (6) Conflict of Interest Rule (5) COVID-19 (5) Department of Labor (59) Department of Treasury (17) Electronic Delivery (3) Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (9) ERISA (9) ESG (4) Fiduciary (3) Fiduciary Rule (9) Finance Committee (3) Form 5500 (11) guidance (12) HELP Committee (3) House Education and Labor Committee (11) House Ways and Means Committee (4) Internal Revenue Service (72) James Lankford (3) LTPT (2) Multiple Employer Plans (3) Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (4) plan sponsor (3) Pooled Employer Plans (5) Priority Guidance Plan (4) Retirement Parity for Student Loans Act. (2) Richard Neal (4) Ron Wyden (3) Roth catch-up (3) Roth catch-up contribution (5) Safe Harbor (6) SECURE 2.0 (12) SECURE Act (11) Securities and Exchange Commission (7) Senate (6) Spousal consent (3) student loans (4) Virginia Foxx (4)

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The American Retirement Association (ARA) is a nonprofit professional organization established to empower retirement plan professionals who are dedicated to building a better retirement for Americans.

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