In the administration of employee benefit plans (EBPs) occasional errors are inevitable. While proactivity, responsiveness and a robust internal control environment help to mitigate the negative effects of these errors, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) allows certain errors to be corrected through its Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP). Don’t miss: What is a 401(k) …
Most 401k plans include either employer match contributions or employer profit sharing contributions. These types of contributions may have a vesting schedule attached to them which is determined by the employer. A vesting schedule dictates how much of the employer contributions are owned by an employee based on their time with the company. This means …
401(k) plans are highly regulated and have many rules as found in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). It can be difficult to keep your plan in line with ERISA regulations, but the following suggestions can help. Don’t miss: Defining compensation within a 401(k) plan ERISA requires that a 401(k) plan must operate according …
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress issued the CARES Act, which expands eligibility and alters the regulations regarding 401(k) loans. The CARES Act allows you to borrow 100% of your account balance up to $100,000 (less any previously outstanding loans), which is a significant increase from the $50,000 limit prior to the act. Currently, …
In July 2019, the AICPA issued the Statement on Auditing Standard (SAS) 136 – Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements of Employee Benefit Plans subject to ERISA standards. The primary goal of the standard is to improve audit quality by making the auditor’s report clearer and easier to understand for the users of …
The tax law places limits on the dollar amount of contributions to retirement plans and IRAs. IRC Section 415 requires the limits to be adjusted annually for cost of living adjustments. Don’t miss: Important information when changing plan administrators The below table shows a three-year comparison (starting in 2020) of certain retirement plan limits. Plan …
For many employers, finding lost 401k plan participants can seem an impossible task. Nevertheless, employers are required to take all reasonable actions to locate a missing participant. Employers have a fiduciary obligation under ERISA to locate or “make a reasonable effort” to find a missing participant of a terminated defined contribution plan. Failing to do …
Many companies offer retirement plans, which is both rewarding and challenging. Managing a plan requires certain actions and involves certain responsibilities that make the person or entity performing them a fiduciary. Fiduciaries play an essential role and are subject to standards of conduct because they act on behalf of the participants. Their responsibilities include: Acting …
To ensure employee benefit plans do not violate certain standards that the DOL and IRS believe are important, plans are subjected to annual compliance tests. These tests are designed to make sure the amounts employees are deferring is within certain maximum limits and that plans are not operating in a manner that discriminates against certain …
We’ve all been there: starting a new job. The amount of information and paperwork can be overwhelming. It’s no surprise that reading up on and enrolling in a 401(k) plan isn’t at the top of everyone’s priorities. What may be surprising is that about half of all households age 55 and older have no 401(k) …