June 2004 Applicable Federal Rates are here. (Compliments of Benefitslink.com)
Speaking of Benefitslink.com, Dave Baker, benefits-internet-guru, has rolled out a great new search engine, at no extra charge, I might add. Thanks, Dave! If you want to thank him too, you can do so by clicking here.
Palmer & Dodge LLP has published a handy summary (pdf) of the benefits issues pertaining to the legalization of same-gender marriages in Massachusetts. Also, this article from BusinessWeek Online indicates the legal battles ahead will keep benefits professionals very busy. Some companies are already scaling back their domestic partnership benefits programs as discussed in this article here from the Washington Post. And cost will be a factor as this article from the Washington Times reports:
A General Accounting Office report lists 1,138 federal laws in which marital status conveys benefits, rights or privileges. The benefits include Social Security, disability payments, food stamps, Medicare and welfare. “Won’t this just break the bank?” said Rep. Spencer Bachus, Alabama Republican, during a House Judiciary Constitution subcommittee hearing last week. . . Health care and retirement benefits for domestic partners of federal employees would cost the government about $1.4 billion from 2004 to 2013, according to a Congressional Budget Office report. . .
Also, retired government employees in Iraq are finally getting their pensions, as reported here by Blogger Arthur Chrenkoff. (From the Wall Street Journal‘s Best of the Web Today.)
Oh, and, what new skills do you need for the 21st century? The answer is here. (From the TaxGuru.)