On Feb. 27, House and Senate Democrats introduced the Social Security Expansion Act, a bill that would increase Social Security (SS) benefits by $2,400/year, fully fund the program for 75 years, and apply the SS payroll tax to all income above $250,000/year.
NAIFA
Recent posts by NAIFA
1 min read
House, Senate Democrats Introduce Social Security Expansion Bill
By NAIFA on 3/17/25 1:09 PM
Topics: Social Security
1 min read
Lawmakers Introduce Bicameral Bipartisan Bill to Extend ABLE Account Tax Rules
By NAIFA on 3/17/25 1:02 PM
On Feb. 19, bipartisan bicameral legislation was introduced that would make permanent several provisions of tax-favored ABLE accounts. The bill’s sponsors say that ABLE accounts help people with disabilities save for their future and ease the burden on those who support them.
Topics: Financial Planning
1 min read
NLRB Acting GC Rescinds Memos on Non-Compete Agreements
By NAIFA on 3/17/25 12:54 PM
On Feb. 14, the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB’s) Acting General Counsel, William Cowen, rescinded two general counsel (GC) memos opining that virtually all non-compete and stay-or-pay agreements would violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). This action does not resolve all the non-compete agreement issues currently in play, but it does signal a shift in NLRB thinking on the issues.
Topics: National Labor Relations Board
1 min read
House Education & the Workforce Committee Examines Over-Regulation
By NAIFA on 3/17/25 11:59 AM
On Feb. 26, the House Education & the Workforce Committee held a hearing focused on over-regulation of business. Titled “Unleashing America’s Workforce and Strengthening Our Economy,” the hearing focused on the adverse impact of a slew of recent regulations, including overtime pay (the white-collar exemption) and worker classification.
Topics: Legislation & Regulations
1 min read
Senate HELP Grills Sonderling During His Confirmation Hearing
By NAIFA on 3/17/25 11:56 AM
Senators closely questioned Department of Labor (DOL) Deputy Secretary nominee Keith Sonderling during his February 27 confirmation hearing before the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Sonderling has been nominated to serve in the number 2 spot at DOL. He vowed to undertake a wholesale review of every DOL enforcement division, and to make sure that DOL has the resources it needs to carry out its mission.
Topics: DOL
1 min read
Senate Confirms Chavez-DeRemer as DOL Secretary
By NAIFA on 3/17/25 11:53 AM
On March 10, the Senate voted to confirm former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) to be Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). The 67 to 32 vote was bipartisan and included some GOP opposition as well as some Democratic support.
Topics: DOL
1 min read
Trump Nominates Insurance Executive to Head EBSA
By NAIFA on 3/17/25 11:49 AM
President Trump has nominated Daniel Aronowitz to lead the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). Aronowitz is currently the president of ENCORE Fiduciary, an underwriter of insurance designed to protect employee benefits plans and trustees from fiduciary liability.
Topics: Employee Benefits
1 min read
Lawmakers Introduce Bicameral Legislation Targeting Agents and Brokers in the ACA Marketplace
By NAIFA on 3/17/25 11:43 AM
On March 12, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) along with Representatives Kathey Castor (D-FL) and Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced the Insurance Fraud Accountability Act, which would impose civil and criminal penalties on agents and brokers engaging in misleading or fraudulent activities in the ACA marketplace, including enrolling individuals in plans without their consent and using deceptive marketing to target vulnerable groups.
Topics: Health Care
6 min read
Congress Begins Work on GOP Agenda
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:34 AM
President Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress are officially in power, and have begun work on an aggressive, high-profile agenda covering among other issues spending cuts, taxes, and shrinking the federal government. Many—maybe most—of these issues could directly impact NAIFA members.
Topics: Congress
2 min read
Senators, House Members Introduce Legislation to Make Permanent Section 199A
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:28 AM
Legislation to make permanent the section 199A deduction for qualifying noncorporate business income has been introduced in both the House and Senate. The legislation is partisan—only Republicans cosponsored it in both chambers of Congress—but the number of cosponsors (35 in the Senate, including most of the Senate GOP’s leadership, and 152 in the House) demonstrates the strength of support for the measure.
Topics: Taxes Congress
1 min read
Key Tax Writer Introduces Bill to Extend Expiring Tax Rules Permanently
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:25 AM
On January 3, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), a senior member of the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee, introduced H.R.143, a bill that would make permanent expiring individual tax rates (including section 199A), the standard deduction, the estate tax personal exemption, and other individual tax provisions. The bill also specifically repeals the expiration date of section 199A, the deduction for qualifying noncorporate business income.
Topics: Taxes Congress
1 min read
President Trump Orders Regulations Freeze, Review
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:22 AM
In one of his first moves after his January 20 inauguration, President Trump ordered federal agencies to halt rulemaking until the new Administration can review all pending proposed regulations. He also ordered a review of regulations finalized late in the Biden Administration.
Topics: Federal Advocacy Insurance & Financial Advisor Regulation
1 min read
Tax Regs Again Subject to White House Review
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:19 AM
In a January 31 executive order (EO), President Trump once again made Treasury tax regulations subject to White House review. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) review of tax regulations was not required until President Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021. But then-President Biden reversed that order, again exempting tax regulations from OIRA review. Now, per this latest Trump EO, IRA will again be reviewing proposed tax regulations.
Topics: Taxes
1 min read
House Republican Introduces Bill to Expand Section 199A, Repeal Estate Tax
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:16 AM
On January 3, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) introduced legislation that would repeal the limits on the kinds of businesses that are eligible for the section 199A deduction for qualifying noncorporate business income. The bill would also repeal the estate tax while retaining the step up in basis for assets passing to heirs after the decedent’s death.
Topics: Small Business Taxes Congress
1 min read
Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Allows CIT Investment by 403(b)s
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:12 AM
Bipartisan legislation to allow 403(b) retirement savings plans to invest in collective investment trusts (CITs) has been introduced in both the House and Senate. The legislation would amend securities laws to allow for 403(b) CIT investments. Retirement law was amended to allow these CIT investments in SECURE 2.0, but efforts to expand the CIT investment authority to include securities laws fell short at the time.
Topics: Retirement Congress
1 min read
Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Increase Above-the-Line Charitable Deduction
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:09 AM
A bipartisan Senate bill, the “Charitable Act,” would reestablish an above-the-line charitable deduction. The deduction would allow taxpayers who do not itemize to deduct their charitable contributions up to an amount equal to up to one third of the standard deduction.
Topics: Taxes Congress
2 min read
Treasury Proposes Guidance on Auto Enrollment, Catch-Up Contribution Rules
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 9:06 AM
On January 10, the Treasury Department released new guidance on SECURE 2.0 automatic enrollment and catch-up contribution rules. The automatic enrollment guidance is in REG-100669-24. The catch-up contribution proposed regulation is REG 1545-BR11.
Topics: Retirement Planning SECURE 2.0
1 min read
IRS Issues Tax Guidance on State Paid Leave Program Benefits
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 8:58 AM
On January 22, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance on how employers should deal with the tax requirements of contributions and benefits paid under state paid and family leave programs. The guidance comes in Rev.Rul. 2025-4.
Topics: IRS
1 min read
Scott Bessent Confirmed as Treasury Secretary
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 8:56 AM
On January 27, the Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Scott Bessent as the 79th Secretary of the Treasury. The vote was 68 to 29. Sixteen Democrats joined with the Republicans to approve the nomination.
Topics: Federal Advocacy
1 min read
Congress Nearing Decisions on DOL, HHS Leadership Nominees
By NAIFA on 2/17/25 8:53 AM
On February 13, President Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., won approval from the Senate following approval by the Senate Finance Committee on a party-line 14 to 13 vote.