The RPAG Scoop | January 2025

We have revamped the RPAG Scoop because our goal is to be the best detectives of the retirement industry and give you the inside scoop! We put our best detectives on the case of ERISA and RPAG updates this month. You'll get clues that lead you to our newly released videos, dates of this year's events, and the impact of the new cabinet on retirement plans.

Education for You in 2025 (0:45)
Two of our best RPAG detectives (or ASAs) Da'Ron Jennings and Alexis Patenaude, found evidence on our YouTube channel, Resource Center, blog page, and webinar page that will lead you to being the best advisor you can be in 2025. To start, we have updated the RPAG portal to help you be more efficient. To read them all, you can go to the most recent Tech Enhancements on our blog page. On our YouTube channel, you will find a multitude of videos that you can watch anytime that will help you grasp the importance of client service and other topics. For upcoming education, we are hosting a brand-new miniseries called "Road to Success" that will get you ready for 2025 and beyond, click here to register for the first session: Guide to RPAG. 

In our Resource Center, Alexis wants you to know that we are constantly uploading new documents for you to refer and relay to your clients. Newer resources include the January Retirement Times, the updated plan limit documents for 2025, as well as a new one pager! Lastly, for our Premium Marketing members, we have released the dates for this year's Hosted Webinars and will be releasing the topics soon, so keep an eye out in your inboxes for an announcement.

The Case of Retirement and the Trump Administration (7:25)

As the lead on the Case of Retirement and the Trump Administration, Jenny Kiffmeyer from The Retirement Learning Center discusses the key leadership roles President Trump needs to fill and retirement policy issues his administration will face. She noted the Republicans now control both the Senate and House and is predicting Trump's administration staffing nominees, focusing on Treasury and Labor Secretaries, but more specifically, Scott Besant and Lori Chavez de Remer. She highlighted three retirement policy roles: Assistant Secretary of EBSA, Deputy Secretary for retirement and health policy, and Director of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, addressing ESG investing, fiduciary advice rules, pension risk transfer, and lump sum notices, with a 2025 revision planned.

Challenges for EBSA include Republican opposition to ESG investing and fiduciary advice rule issues. The administration must review pension risk transfer guidance under SECURE 2.0 and enhance defined benefit lump sum reporting. The treasury and IRS face expiring 2025 tax cuts and need ongoing SECURE Act 2.0 guidance. Some PBGC challenges include premium reform and multiemployer pension plan assumptions, with potential leadership changes in key committees affecting policy, especially with respect to retirement plans. 

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