On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law a comprehensive government funding bill (the Appropriations Act, including the SECURE Act) that includes substantial employee benefits-related provisions. The legislation affects both retirement and health plans, has some immediate and January 1, 2020 effective dates, and will have a significant impact on the way that many plans are operated. Many of the SECURE Act provisions are intended to encourage the use of lifetime income products (such as annuities) in 401(k) plans and other defined contribution plans, while others are designed to encourage small-to-midsized employers that do not currently offer retirement plans to employees to adopt a plan. Other provisions are intended to increase retirement savings in existing plans, and some are simply intended to increase revenue.
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