Plan sponsor newsletter
Q4 2024
Collaboration with MIT AgeLab on longevity
How can we as an industry help Americans prepare to live longer, better, and healthier lives in retirement? John Hancock and the MIT AgeLab are collaborating on a five-year research study to answer this question and help improve the quality of life for the aging population and their loved ones.
Together, we’ll explore the critical tenets of longevity and provide data-driven insight on:
- Health and wellness habits
- Financial planning
- Housing choices
- Retirement income sources
- End-of-life planning
Our goal is to provide actionable insight that’s beneficial for everyone—the business community, policymakers, and individuals and their families. We’ll also be developing a first-of-its-kind longevity preparedness index, which we’ll use to measure the readiness of Americans from every generation and identify areas for improvement.
Click below to read our new thought leadership article based on MIT AgeLab research outlining how technology can help keep retirees independent and safe.1
It’s about time—award-winning engagement program
John Hancock is excited to share that our It’s about time participant engagement program won a 2024 Wealth Management Industry Award.2 We’re honored to receive this prestigious award recognizing initiatives and programs that help facilitate retirement planning, preparation, and funding through a service enhancement. This award is a celebration of our commitment to helping people live longer, healthier, and better lives.
Check out what’s upcoming this quarter in our It’s about time program.
Q4 financial well-being quarterly
Cybersecurity education is the topic for this quarter’s program. Good online habits are essential for helping your participants protect their personal information and retirement accounts. We offer tips for staying safe online and how participants can better safeguard their accounts.
Webinars
Our highly anticipated Medicare webinars are being promoted with participants who are at least 50 years old. Participants will receive email invites October 31 through November 1. The webinars, which will be presented in partnership with SHINE (Serving the Healthcare Needs of Everyone),3 are being held:
- November 6 at 12:00 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. (English)
- November 6 at 2:00 P.M. (Spanish)
- November 12 at 12:00 P.M. (English)
Stay tuned for details on our 2025 programs, designed to engage and educate your participants.
Learn more about our award-winning It’s about time program.
Don’t miss hearing about the current legislative and regulatory environment from our ERISA specialists. Topics covered include the:
- DOL’s final fiduciary rule and latest legal challenge
- DOL’s views on cybersecurity and retirement plans
- U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of the Chevron decision
- SECURE 2.0 Notice 2024-55, tax exceptions
Do you have a calendar year plan? Now’s the time to start planning your annual notices.
Annual participant notices for calendar year plans (December 31 plan year end) must be sent by November 30—just a few weeks away. If you use Notice Manager, submit your mailing request to Toppan Merrill, our notice provider, by Monday, November 4, to allow enough time for processing. Toppan Merrill requires 10 business days to print and mail your notices. Requests received after November 4 are still processed, but your mailing may be after the deadline.
Collective investment trusts (CITs) are tax-exempt, pooled investment vehicles maintained by a bank or trust company. They may help plan fiduciaries meet their duties to participants by providing a compelling lower-cost diversified investment vehicle. (available only to certain qualified retirement plans). CITs may be an attractive alternative to mutual funds for 401(k) ERISA fiduciaries to make available to their participants.
Some features of CITs :
- Maintained by a bank or trust company manager
- Exclusive to certain qualified retirement plans
- Invested in through a contract (participation agreement) between the plan fiduciary and the trust (e.g., CIT fund), which determines plan eligibility
- Exempt from many registration, administrative, and marketing regulations that drive costs incurred by mutual funds;4 potential structural cost advantage over mutual funds
FOR PLAN SPONSOR USE ONLY. NOT FOR USE WITH PLAN PARTICIPANTS.
Important disclosures
1 John Hancock & MITAgeLab are not affiliated, and neither is responsible for the liabilities of the other. 2 "WealthManagement.com 2024 Industry Award (the "Wealthies")", winner of Retirement Plan Support and Advisor Services, 401(k) Services Category, WealthManagement.com, 2024. 3 John Hancock & SHINE are not affiliated, and neither is responsible for the liabilities of the other. 4 Collective investment trusts are offered through banks or trusts overseen by state or federal bank regulators and are subject to the federal laws governing retirement plan fiduciaries. Mutual funds are offered through registered investment companies overseen by the SEC.
This is not an offer to sell units of the trust, and the trust is not soliciting offers to buy units of the trust, at any time in any jurisdiction in which the offer or sale is not permitted. Units of the trust are only offered to eligible qualified employee benefit plans in the sole discretion of the trustee. Descriptions of the trust, which include the objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information, should be read and considered carefully read and considered together with the declaration of trust, the participation agreement, and the fund declarations before investing, copies of which are available to qualified investors on request from John Hancock Trust Company. The trust document may only be available in English.
This material is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy securities.
CIT: The fund is a collective investment trust and is privately offered. Information on this investment is not available in local publications.
All investment funds are subject to market risk and will fluctuate in value.
There is no guarantee that any investment strategy will achieve its objectives.
GA-PS645473-GE 10/24 645473 GA1004243903616