Products May 5, 2009

UBA Helps Companies Keep Up with Compliance Requirements

May 5, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Member firms of United Benefit Advisors, LLC (UBA) introduced its new Compliance Solutions Program.
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According to a press release, the Compliance Solutions Program is designed to help owners, C-level management, HR officers and staff, benefits managers, compensation management and corporate health and wellness officers address the increasing challenges posed by more complex compliance regulations and rapidly shifting benefits programs. The UBA Employer Compliance Solution Program makes compliance information available through a Webinar series, compliance alerts, and a quarterly newsletter.

“Keeping on top of benefits and employment law is no easy task. Our goal is to help employers act in accordance with government regulations by summarizing key issues and presenting information on a timely and regular basis,” said Ron Dutton, UBA Board Member and President of RJ Dutton Inc., a UBA Member Benefits Advisory Firm headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, in the announcement.

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Webinars are generally scheduled for the second Tuesday of every month at 2 p.m. Eastern time and have included topics such as “Administering the 65% COBRA Premium Subsidy,” “Requirements Under the 2009 Stimulus Package,” “Changes to ADA,” and FMLA regulation updates. “Effects of CHIP Expansion on Employer Health Plans” is scheduled for May 12, and “Expected Changes to the Employee Free Choice Act” is scheduled for June 9, the announcement said.

Dan Bacon , UBA Director, Analytics and Training said the Webinars will be submitted for HRCI (HR Certification Institute) recertification, and employers can obtain a 30% discounted price by contacting their local UBA Member Firm.

To participate in the UBA Employer Webinars or for more information about the UBA Compliance Solutions Program, visit www.benefits.com to find a local UBA Member Firm, or click on the “Resources” tab on the home page.

Investing May 4, 2009

Private Equity Returns Down for Fifth Straight Quarter

May 4, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Private Equity industry exhibited a quarterly return decline for the fifth consecutive quarter in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the results of the State Street Private Equity Index.
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A press release said the return for the State Street Private Equity Index was -16.32% for the fourth quarter of 2008, which is a near 800-basis point decline from the prior quarter. Despite the recent declines, “Private equity funds generally held their ground better than public equities during the fourth quarter of 2008,” commented William Pryor, senior vice president of State Street Investment Analytics, in the announcement.

On an annualized basis, the State Street Private Equity Index reported a one year return of -25.76%, outperforming the S&P 500 return of -38.49% for 2008.

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The Venture Capital funds in the State Street Private Equity Index demonstrated resiliency to public market volatility and declined by only -9.66%, State Street said.

Domestic funds in the Index reported a -14.69% return and International funds reported a -21.42% return in the fourth quarter of 2008. Overall, the magnitude of the return changes between third and fourth quarters for domestic funds and for international funds were relatively even.

The index is based on the latest quarterly statistics from State Street Investment Analytics’ Private Edge Group and includes more than 1,500 private equity partnerships with aggregate commitments of approximately $1.5 trillion.

class="bwcellparagraphmargin"> State Street Private Equity Indexsm

class="bwcellparagraphmargin"> Composition and long-term IRR as of December 31, 2008

   
Strategy Number of Funds Commitments ($B) Long-term IRR %
Buyout 701 1,058.2 10.1
Venture Capital 629 207.3 10.0
Other 192 187.1 5.3
Total 1.522 1,452.6 9.6
US only 1,238 1,102.5 9.7
International only 284 350.1 9.3

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