ASPPA (American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries)

Air Date: September 25, 2026 Speaker: Betsy Schaaf, ERISA Attorney, Definiti Registration Deadline for Live Webcast: September 24, 2026 Rehire and break‑in‑service rules are deceptively complex and frequently misunderstood, leading to eligibility errors, incorrect vesting calculations, and long‑term operational failures.

Employer-based retirement plans are fundamental to saving for a secure retirement. One of the critically important bedrocks for long-term financial security. But there are times when a person may have an interruption in their employment. If that person participates in a retirement plan through the employer, what does that mean for his or her retirement account?

Baby Boomers apparently have some ’splainin to do. After decades of being blamed for everything from the demise of defined benefit pensions to the price of housing, Boomers are now being castigated for something else: spending the money that their children were (apparently) counting on inheriting. Indeed, there’s been a lot of talk about the so-called “Great Wealth Transfer” — and lately a fair amount of consternation that Boomers might actually spend some of that wealth before they die.

In a recent survey about what benefits would make employees more likely to stay with their employer over the next two years, increased retirement savings match/contribution came in as the top response.

Offering a retirement plan appears cut and dried, and in many ways it is. But it’s not just figures and accounts — there are some underlying principles behind offering a plan. What motivations might there be behind offering a plan, and what factors are involved beyond the administration of the plan and participants’ accumulation/decumulation? Industry experts offer their perspectives and insights.

Managed account use is generally associated with higher employee contribution rates and a higher probability of contributing enough to receive the full employer match, suggests new research by Morningstar — but the relationship is not necessarily uniform.

September brings several opportunities to stay informed, connect with industry leaders, and make the most of your ASPPA membership.

What is the QP3™? The QP3™ is ASPPA's credential for professionals who want job-ready expertise in Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs) and Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs). It moves beyond basic definitions into the real-world issues that come up when employers join, operate within, or leave a pooled plan arrangement.

Timing, it’s said, is everything. That’s true for many aspects of life — and that includes when to start claiming Social Security benefits. The Social Security system is a social and economic mainstay, virtual oxygen. Yet there can be uncertainties about even the most steadfast of rocks. In the case of Social Security, that perennially concerns its financing, solvency, and long-term benefits levels.

Retirement plans and the coverage they make possible have a recipe with a variety of ingredients that come together to create and run a plan — and, in the end, facilitate more financially secure retirements for real people. Retirement plans — and the coverage they exist to make possible — don’t happen by the wave of a magic wand, bippity boppity boo.