Archives: 2024

Rate Cuts Arrive

By Zack Fritz, Sage Policy GroupIn March 2022, the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in order to quell what would become the worst bout of inflation in over forty years. Exactly 30 months later, at the Federal Reserve’s September 17-18th meeting, they began lowering rates, cutting the ta…Continued

Federal Reserve Rate Changes

What Happened:On September 18 the U. S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) announced a 0.50% decrease in the Target Feds Fund (TFF) rate, lowering the upper bound to 5.00%. This follows fourteen months with the Fed Funds at 5.25% - 5.50%. Additionally, the Fed reduced the Interest on Reserve Balances (IORB)…Continued

First Multiemployer Pension Plan Risk Transfer

What Happened:A large multiemployer pension fund paid an insurance company $221M to have the insurance company take full responsibility for all future pension payments for a portion of its current retiree group. All told the plan shifted 8,700 retirees and beneficiaries (just under 50% of the total…Continued

2025 Open Enrollment Compliance Checklist

To get ready for open enrollment, employers who sponsor group health plans should be aware of compliance changes affecting the design and administration of their health plans for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2025. These changes include limits that are adjusted for inflation each year, s…Continued