Compliance November 19, 2018

Senate Democrats Present Bill to Encourage Workers to Save for Retirement

The bill would revive the myRA program and replace the Saver's Credit with a government matching contribution.

Reported by

Senate Democrat finance committee ranking members have introduced a new bill designed to support working families and middle-to-low-class Americans saving for retirement.

The legislation—called the Encouraging Americans to Save Act (EASA)—restores the retirement savings program myRA, which the Trump administration eliminated  in July of 2017, citing a lack of cost-effectiveness. Established in 2014 by the Obama administration, myRA was created to produce starter retirement savings account for those without access to a 401(k) plan at work.

Get more!  Sign up for PLANSPONSOR newsletters.

According to the proposed bill, EASA would also “reform a tax credit into federal matching contributions,” for working class Americans contributing to a retirement savings account, whether that’s through an employer savings program or an individual retirement account (IRA). Additionally, the bill would offer matching contributions to those without an employer-sponsored program, including those enrolled in IRAs or local government programs. The proposal says EASA would replace the Saver’s Credit with a 50% government match on contributions of up to $1,000 per year, made to 401(k)-type plans and IRAs by employees with a maximum income of $32,000 or couples with a combined maximum income of $65,000.

Other Senate Democrats who helped form the bill include Senator Ben Cardin, D-Maryland; Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; and Michael Bennet, D-Colorado.

More information about the bill can be found here.

 

 

Products November 19, 2018

UBS Offers Financial Wellness Content to Equity Compensation Participants

UBS says beginning with this launch, it intends to deliver a comprehensive set of workplace wellness services and tools to the firm's existing corporate client base of over 10,000 clients.

Reported by

UBS Equity Plan Advisory Services (EPAS) announced the release of a financial wellness digital content offering to equity compensation plan participants.

The firm gathered qualitative data from its corporate clients and participants to determine their needs and wants, which helped to inform and validate its strategy. “Our findings were clear. Clients were extremely interested in providing non-monetary benefits such as greater access to financial literacy trainings, personal finance tools and general education that could help advance their employees’ overall well-being. Their feedback was instrumental in shaping a multi-faceted learning experience for participants regardless of income, age, and current financial acumen,” says Michael Barry, head of UBS Equity Plan Advisory Services at UBS Financial Services Inc.

Never miss a story — sign up for PLANSPONSOR newsletters to keep up on the latest retirement plan benefits news.

In addition to showcasing the firm’s own thought leadership, EPAS sought out a slate of non-traditional content partners to collaborate with including Napkin Finance, Aon Equity Services and Imprint, to create a variety of content that gives participants interesting, yet simple ways to get practical knowledge about equity compensation and their money. The primary aim of this new content offering is to make the financial lives of participants’ better, by connecting them with the information they need to boost progress to their broader financial goals.

The new content experience delivers a variety of videos, infographics, articles and gamified content to encourage engagement and empower employees to learn more about topics such as planning, budgeting, saving, managing debt, investing, retirement and more.

A survey found equity compensation participants say they would take advantage of a financial wellness program—which would provide education, tools and resources to help with their overall financial health—if it were offered by their employer. Two-thirds of respondents who have access to this benefit take advantage of it, and most participants (96%) find it helpful when making equity compensation decisions.

UBS says the debut of the financial wellness digital content is only a step towards a broader workplace financial wellness rollout that goes beyond equity plan participants. Beginning with this launch, UBS intends to deliver a comprehensive set of workplace wellness services and tools to the firm’s existing corporate client base of over 10,000 clients, and plans to expand to prospective clients. The full offering will provide participants access to personalized financial assistance from licensed UBS Financial Advisors, starting with a wellness assessment followed by ongoing help to meet their unique needs. It will also include seminars and webinars to educate employees on a wide range of topics focused on building personal financial knowledge and healthier financial habits.

«