J.P.Morgan Chase Reinstates Match, Lifts Salary Freeze

Saying the company "will continue to be committed to being highly competitive and paying for performance," J.P.Morgan Chase's Director of HR John Donnelly informed employees that 401(k) match and salary increases would begin again.

The company decided to reverse its decision earlier this year to suspend the 401(k) match, and to contribute matching contributions for the full 2009 year, according to Donnelly’s memo to employees. In addition, J.P.Morgan will grant a one-time $500 special award early next year to employees globally with total annual cash compensation of less than $60,000.

Donnelly said that in the United States, this will be made as a contribution to the 401(k) Savings Plan, while outside the United States, it will be paid through local payroll. The firm also decided to continue providing a pension plan for U.S. employees, though it will modify the benefits formula next year to be more aligned with the current market, the memo said.

Donnelly announced the salary freeze for all employees earning above $60,000, put in place last year, would be lifted, with raises effective early in 2010.

J.P.Morgan paid back $25 billion of government bailout funds in June, and therefore is not subject to compensation limits like financial firms where the U.S. still owns stakes.

Guardian Adds CIFs in Plan Management

November 10, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company (GIAC) announced that Stadion Money Management, Inc., is introducing collective investment funds to Stadion’s managed account services offered to plan participants who utilize The Guardian Choice and The Guardian Advantage group retirement products.

A news release said the underlying investment vehicles in the funds will be exchange-traded funds (ETFs), cash, and cash equivalents.   The funds will be used by Stadion in its management of plan participant accounts and are not available for direct investment by plan sponsors or plan participants.

“The new CIFs will benefit plan participants by improving trading efficiencies that allow Stadion, as investment adviser, to respond more quickly to changing market conditions and by reducing investment expenses through the use of these lower cost investment options,” said Scott Dolfi, Guardian’s Executive Vice President, Retirement Solutions, in the announcement.

In 2009, more than 87% of the plan sponsors who have utilized The Guardian Choice or The Guardian Advantage as their funding vehicle have adopted the Stadion managed account service as their qualified default investment alternative (QDIA), the company said. 


More information is available at www.GuardianLife.com.

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