Pension reforms enacted by congress; AICPA helps CPAs understand new rules.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006, the most comprehensive pension reform legislation since 1974, was signed into law on Aug. 17. The Act aims at strengthening pension funds, encourages greater participation in 401 (k) and other retirement plans, strengthens plan reporting and participant disclosure rules, resolves legal uncertainty surrounding cash balance and other hybrid plans, allows plan fiduciaries to provide participants with investment advice, and makes permanent significant tax retirement savings incentives enacted under prior law.

The new law will lead many companies to change the way their plans are designed and administered, amend plan documents...