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Industry & Regulatory News

Retirement Spotlight: January 2020 Spotlight on Important SECURE Act Provisions For Financial Advisors

The new year promises to provide plentiful opportunities for financial advisors to gain business and to demonstrate expertise to existing clients. As you likely know, the SECURE Act was signed into law on December 20, 2019. Many of the Act’s provisions took effect on January 1, 2020. Most of them offer real benefits to your clients; other provisions may not be as helpful, but you still need to understand them to provide the best service possible. This Retirement Spotlight focuses on a half-dozen SECURE Act provisions that will make the most significant impact on your retirement plan practice.

January 08 2020

Industry & Regulatory News

President Trump Signs SECURE Act Into Law

Late Friday, December 20, President Trump signed into law two spending packages passed by Congress, which avert a government shutdown. One of the packages, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (FCAA), is comprised of multiple bills—including the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, which contains several major retirement savings-related provisions. Ascensus’ latest Washington Pulse, released on Friday, discusses these provisions in detail.

December 23 2019

Industry & Regulatory News

Washington Pulse: SECURE Act: The Wait is Finally Over

For the past three years, Congress has attempted to pass major retirement reform legislation. It has finally succeeded with the year-end passage of two spending packages meant to avert a government shutdown. One of the packages, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (FCAA), includes multiple bills—including the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, which contains several major retirement-related provisions. These provisions are nearly identical to those included in an earlier version of the SECURE Act that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2019. At the time of this publication, the President had not yet signed these bills into law. But it is widely anticipated that he will.

December 20 2019

Industry & Regulatory News

Senate Approves Appropriations Bill with SECURE Act and Healthcare Provisions; President’s Signature Expected

The U.S. Senate today voted its approval of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, as passed by the House of Representatives, with provisions that will fund government operations for the coming fiscal year. Included are provisions of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019, as well as healthcare-related changes.

December 19 2019

Industry & Regulatory News

House of Representatives' Government Funding Bill Contains SECURE Act Provisions

The House Rules Committee has released text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, whose provisions are to fund government operations for the coming fiscal year. Included in this legislative text—as many have hoped—are provisions of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019. The SECURE Act was passed as stand-alone legislation earlier this year by the House of Representatives, but was not taken up in the Senate. Inclusion in appropriations legislation was considered the last opportunity for passage of this legislation in 2019. These appropriations must have both House and Senate approval, and signature by President Trump, for the SECURE Act provisions to become law.

December 17 2019

Industry & Regulatory News

Last Minute Funding Action by Congress Sets the Stage for Major Savings and Health Changes

In these final days of the 2019 congressional session, as lawmakers negotiated to avert a shutdown of federal government functions and to authorize spending for the coming fiscal year, a number of tax-advantaged savings and health care-related changes found their way into the legislative mix. The majority are provisions found in legislation passed earlier in 2019 by the House of Representatives, in the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, which is legislation that was not taken up by the Senate.

December 17 2019

Industry & Regulatory News

Washington Pulse: House Passes SECURE Act, Retirement Focus Shifts to the Senate

With growing bipartisan momentum that has lent new optimism for eventual enactment, comprehensive retirement legislation has been passed by the House of Representatives and now moves on to the U.S. Senate. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 passed in the House on May 23 with only token opposition, its 417-3 margin a demonstration of overwhelming support.

May 31 2019