Newsroom
Leading with Purpose: Zenith American Solutions’ Blueprint for Innovative, Personalized Benefits Administration
Blog Posts
Staying informed is only the first step. For Taft-Hartley and multiemployer plan fiduciaries, the real value comes from turning board-level insights into operational action that strengthens governance, supports compliance, and protects plan participants. Zenith American Solutions' Insider Insights for Multiemployer Plans webinar series connects industry expertise with practical strategies, helping trustees navigate today's complex regulatory environment. This recap highlights key themes from the series and the ways Zenith helps clients put those insights to work every day.
Pension plans are designed to deliver accurate lifetime benefits, yet a persistent challenge is preventing payments from continuing after a retiree or beneficiary passes away. Historically, administrators relied on the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File, but restricted access since 2013 has forced plans to seek less reliable alternatives. As a result, the risk of overpayments has grown, compounded by stricter recovery limitations under the SECURE Act. To address this, many Defined Benefit plans are adopting retiree verification—or “proof of life”—processes to confirm beneficiaries’ status on a regular basis. Implementing a structured outreach and follow-up approach helps plans reduce risk while ensuring payments remain accurate and compliant.
A Dependent Eligibility Audit helps employers verify that only eligible dependents are enrolled in their benefit plans. Learn how these audits can reduce healthcare costs, improve data accuracy, strengthen compliance, and support fiduciary responsibilities. Discover how Zenith American Solutions helps organizations protect plan assets through a structured and proven audit process.
A recent study by the National Institute on Retirement Security highlights a growing gap in Americans’ retirement readiness. The findings show a continued decline in the traditional “three-legged stool” of retirement income - Social Security, employer-sponsored plans, and personal savings - placing greater pressure on workers to self-fund their future. With fewer employees having access to defined benefit pensions and many holding minimal retirement savings, the average worker has accumulated only about 41% of what is needed for retirement. These trends underscore the urgent need for stronger policy solutions, improved plan access, and increased savings to ensure long-term financial security for future retirees.
Simplify your monthly reporting with Employer Edge™, Zenith’s secure, user-friendly platform built for contributing employers. With fast electronic submissions, flexible data upload options, mobile access, and integrated payments, Employer Edge™ reduces administrative burden while improving accuracy and efficiency - so you can focus less on paperwork and more on delivering results.
Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) have long been a core component of U.S. retirement policy, originally designed to ensure that more retirement assets are taxed as retirement income rather than as part of an individual’s inheritance. While the concept has existed for decades, the rules continue to evolve, most recently through the SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0. For plan trustees, administrators, and client service teams, understanding these requirements is critical to staying compliant and guiding participants effectively. Below is a clear, digestible overview of how RMDs came to be, how they’ve changed, and what they mean for both Defined Contribution (DC) and Defined Benefit (DB) plans.
Variable Annuity Pension Plans (VAPPs) are transforming retirement strategies by blending the security of traditional pensions with market-responsive flexibility. Zenith American Solutions helps organizations implement VAPPs with precision, providing expert guidance, robust administration, and participant education to ensure a smooth transition to this innovative plan design.
The enhanced Participant Edge Member Portal now brings all your health and retirement benefits together in one secure, easy‑to‑use place. With new features like fillable retirement applications, real‑time pension status tracking, online statements, and digital document uploads, managing your benefits has never been more convenient. These improvements are designed to give you faster, simpler, and more connected support at every stage of your benefits journey.
Zenith American Solutions continues to earn client trust through strategic investments that enhance service quality, operational efficiency, and security. From upgraded customer care to advanced benefit administration platforms, these initiatives have driven higher satisfaction, stronger partnerships, and national recognition.
Webinar Series: Insider Insights for Multiemployer Plans
-
Cybersecurity for Multiemployer Plans: Fiduciary Obligations and Risk Management
April 17th, 2026 | 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM ET
This webinar explores why cybersecurity has become a core fiduciary governance issue for multiemployer plans and what regulators now expect from trustees, fund offices, and service providers. Attendees will learn about the most common cybersecurity risks facing plans today, the importance of vendor oversight and internal controls, and the governance practices that help demonstrate a prudent, well-documented cybersecurity program.
-
Mental Health Parity Enforcement in Practice - Understanding DOL Investigations and Preparing Your Plan
February 10th, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET
This session examines the current MHPAEA enforcement landscape and what plans should be doing now to prepare for increased Department of Labor scrutiny. The webinar focuses on NQTL comparative analyses, fiduciary oversight, vendor coordination, and the operational realities of mental health parity compliance.
-
Oops… Now What? Navigating Benefit Overpayments Under SECURE 2.0
January 14, 2026 | 12:30 PM ET
This webinar explores how SECURE 2.0 changed the rules around retirement plan overpayment recovery, including new fiduciary relief provisions and participant protections. Attendees will gain practical insight into when plans may recover, offset, or forgive overpayments—and why documentation and governance remain critical.
-
It Takes a Village: Building Strong Teams for Multiemployer Plan Success
December 5, 2025 | 12:30 PM ET
This webinar highlights the importance of collaboration among trustees, administrators, counsel, actuaries, auditors, and other service providers in supporting strong plan governance. Attendees will learn how communication, coordination, and clear oversight processes help reduce fiduciary risk and improve outcomes for participants.
-
Shutdowns & Shakeups: Reading the Washington Crystal Ball
November 20th, 2025 | 12:30 PM ET
This webinar provides an insider’s perspective on how government shutdowns, political transitions, and leadership changes impact the Department of Labor, PBGC, and the multiemployer plan community. Attendees will gain practical insight into what activity continues during periods of uncertainty, which regulatory priorities may shift, and how fiduciaries and service providers can stay prepared for what comes next.
-
Good Governance for Multiemployer Trustees: What Matters Now – and Why
June 30, 2026 | 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM ET
This webinar explores how regulators and courts assess fiduciary governance and decision-making, highlighting key risk, litigation, and enforcement trends. Attendees will learn practical strategies for strengthening oversight, documentation, and governance processes, as well as how service providers support audit-ready compliance within a directed administrative framework.
Press Releases
Harbour Benefit Holdings, Inc. ("Harbour") has announced the acquisition of A.W. Rehn & Associates, Inc. ("Rehn"), a third-party administrator based in Washington. Rehn will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Harbour and become part of its family of companies.
Zenith American Solutions welcomes Patrick Horne as Chief Information Officer. With over 32 years of IT experience and a strong background in healthcare technology, Horne will drive innovation and enhance benefits administration at Zenith.
Harbour Benefit Holdings, Inc. ("Harbour") and its subsidiary, Zenith American Solutions, Inc.® ("Zenith"), industry leaders in third-party administration services for Taft-Hartley Trust Funds, proudly announce the appointment of Debbie Rittenour to their Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2024.