Record Retention October 2010 Newsletter The record storage business is booming. A Google search yields pages and pages of links to companies offering to safely and securely store vital personal and/or business records. As the regulatory environment in which businesses operate becomes increasingly complex, the need to maintain thorough records of various activities becomes increasingly…
DetailsSafe Harbor 401(k) Plan Offers Many Advantages August 2010 Newsletter The continuing popularity of the 401(k) plan has made it the most widely used savings plan in the country. As employers have had to shift limited resources to cover the ever-increasing cost of other benefits, the ability for employees to contribute to their retirement savings…
DetailsRoth 401(k) FAQs June 2010 Newsletter Designated Roth contributions (a/k/a Roth 401(k) or Roth deferrals) have been available since 2006, but a change in the tax laws governing Roth IRAs has reenergized discussions about this feature. This article is in Q&A format and addresses some of the more common questions about Roth 401(k) contributions. But…
DetailsWhen Should the Check be in the Mail? April 2010 Newsletter Every qualified retirement plan has a specific deadline by which employer contributions must be deposited to the plan for each plan year. However, the rules concerning participants’ contributions have not been as clear. For example, in 401(k) plans, employees typically defer a portion of…
DetailsParticipants are on a Need to Know Basis…and They Need to Know February 2010 Newsletter It seems that every time you turn around, you are required to provide yet another notice to the participants in your company’s retirement plan. While plan-related notices are not a new phenomenon, the Pension Protection Act (PPA) took the concept…
DetailsMandatory Electronic Filing Applies to Form 5500 Soon! December 2009 Newsletter When Congress passed the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA), it enacted several provisions that affect your Form 5500 filing. The first provision requires that you file Form 5500 electronically, thereby eliminating the expensive paper processing system currently in use by the government. The…
DetailsCoping With the Impact of the Pension Protection Act November 2009 Newsletter The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA), which fundamentally changed the funding of defined benefit plans, was signed into law about three years ago. Guidance needed to interpret this new law has trickled in over these three years. This newsletter summarizes the recent…
DetailsVoluntary Corrections for Qualified Plans October 2009 Newsletter Given the complex nature of administering qualified retirement plans in accordance with ever-changing pension law, mistakes are inevitable. When the IRS discovers plan mistakes through audit, the plan risks being disqualified which results in severe consequences to the plan sponsor and participants. Fortunately, the IRS recognizes that…
DetailsPlan Distributions Are on the Rise August 2009 Newsletter The primary goal of a retirement plan is to accumulate savings to provide income after retirement. Most plans also allow distributions before retirement age for a number of circumstances, including termination of employment and financial hardship. Non-taxable participant loans may also be an option. Not surprisingly,…
DetailsERISA Fiduciary Responsibilities June 2009 Newsletter Are you a fiduciary of your company’s retirement plan? If you’re not sure, it’s time to find out because if you are a fiduciary, it is important to know exactly what your responsibilities are. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) imposes rigorous standards on plan fiduciaries,…
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