Skip to main content

Addressing student loan debt: Trailblazing companies and possible legislation

A handful of companies have led the way when it comes to student loan debt assistance for their employees. There’s also legislation pending in Washington that could impact the issue.

Watch episode #2 in our video series: For Your Benefit with HANYS Benefit Services. We’re taking a closer look at two such companies that have come up with creative, new employee benefits solutions to tackle the issue and possible legislation coming down the pike. 

The trailblazers: Abbott Labs and Fidelity

Abbott Labs

The problem: Abbott wanted to match student loan repayments. But since student loan repayments are not paid into a retirement plan, but to student loan issuer, they couldn’t directly apply a match contribution.

The solution: Contribute to the non-elective or profit sharing contribution type under section 401(a).

The details: To be sure they weren’t violating the code, Abbott Labs requested a private letter ruling to get IRS approval to make contributions with respect to the student loan repayments, which are not elective deferral contributions. When they received the private letter ruling in 2018, it made headlines.

Fidelity

The initial push: In 2018, Fidelity became the first company to offer a student debt benefit to employees by making an employer after tax contributions to offset their student loan debt. They also launched their own student debt employer contribution program for employees, and made it available to numerous other companies.

The follow through: In 2019, Fidelity created a program that allows employees to transfer unused PTO and use it to offset their student loan debt.

The results: To date, Fidelity has saved $22.5 million in principal and interest for their employees, shaving off more than 34,000 years in loan payments.

A growing trend

In retirement administration, we see a lot of 401(k) and 403(b) record-keepers starting to offer student loan debt solutions. It's almost become a requirement to keep up in competitive industries.

As these retirement services shift toward more holistic financial wellness, we also see more web-based solutions where employees can get guidance on student loan debt or receive help applying for relief services.

Now on to legislation

Previously, we discussed the CARES Act, in which Congress provided administrative forbearance for student loan debt, including interest and payments, for all federally issued debt through the end of September.

A lesser known provision: Within the CARES Act is the 2019 proposed employer participation in retirement act, which previously had bipartisan support in Congress. This provision allows employers to make contributions directly to student loan debt, tax free, up to $5,250 per annum.

The catch: This provision needs to be adopted by Jan. 1, 2021.

On the horizon

Most likely to succeed: The Portman Cardin Retirement Security and Savings Act probably has the best chance of getting passed out of all pending legislation on the issue. One of the things this act will allow is for employers to essentially do what Abbott Labs did, but in a way that allows for actual matching contributions when employees make student loan repayments.

The problem: If you're suddenly incentivizing your employees to transform their retirement deferrals into student loan repayments, you may have a lot less non-highly compensated employees saving to their retirement plan. That can cause the ADP test to fail.

The solution: The act addresses non-discrimination testing. By allowing a carve-out from non-discrimination testing for those employees, this proposed legislation makes the option more feasible.

As companies and government work towards addressing student loan debt, how and where Americans save their money will change too. We’ll continue to monitor the landscape to keep abreast of any changes that might impact our customers.

Want to hear more from us? Subscribe to our youtube channel to see our latest podcasts.

Popular posts from this blog

SECURE 2.0 Discussion Series: Session Two

The retirement industry has been buzzing since the SECURE 2.0 Act was signed into law last December. This new, comprehensive legislation has sparked a lot of discussion. As with any major reform, it will take time for the industry to fully adapt and understand all its implications. Following our April 11 webinar on the first three months of the industry’s response, our team reconvened to discuss some of what we have heard from our client and vendor partners and to respond to some of the great questions we heard from attendees. Panel participants included the following HBS team members: Noah Buck, Christina Bauer-Dobias, Sean Bayne, Vincent Bocchinfuso and Kathleen Coonan. The Discussion SB – Throughout the webinar, I wanted to stress two things: 1) confusion about where to start and what is expected from plan sponsors is normal; and 2) even more than three months in, this is a developing situation and people should expect changes as time goes on. With those in mind, engagement through

SECURE 2.0 Discussion Series: Session One

SECURE 2.0 provisions: What we know and what’s still up in the air The SECURE 2.0 Act, signed into law in late December 2022, has factored heavily in retirement industry discourse since the final legislation was published. As with any legislation of this depth and breadth, there’s a lot to digest and the industry takes time to adjust. Our team of experienced advisors recently met to discuss some of the more nuanced provisions of the legislation, such as changes to Roth contributions, and what they could mean for plan sponsors. Panel participants included the following HBS team members: Noah Buck, Christina Bauer-Dobias, Sean Bayne, Vincent Bocchinfuso and Kathleen Coonan. Highlights of our panel’s conversation below should serve to help guide plan sponsor thinking. On Roth employer contributions NB – In addition to deferring pre-tax or Roth, plan sponsors can now allow employer contributions to be classified as Roth, is that right? VB – Correct. This is immediately available to plan s

What you should know about biosimilars

Rapidly increasing healthcare costs will likely continue to impact employers for the foreseeable future. As a result, many employers are considering strategies to manage these costs, including rising prescription drug costs. The introduction of biosimilar drugs as an alternative to biologics may bring value to healthcare by offering cost savings and increasing employee access to necessary medications. While biosimilars can potentially combat rising prescription drug costs, employers will need to learn more about them before considering how their health plans can accommodate these newer drugs. This article explores biosimilar drugs and ways employers can promote or manage their use. What are biosimilars? The European Medicines Agency defines a biosimilar as “a biological medicine highly similar to another already approved biological medicine.” It is produced from living organisms — humans, animals or microorganisms, meaning they aren’t created from synthesized chemicals. They are also